The Doctor and the Redhead
by TheGingerNextDoor
Summary: Spencer, a redhead, and a romance, with a CM twist. Done in a series of shorts, all 15 pages or less.
1. Chapter 1

The Doctor and the Redhead-A Series of Shorts

Summary: A doctor, a redhead, and a mutual love of Russian literature. A modern fairy tale, with a CM twist, of course! Each story is 15 pages or less….enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. It belongs to CBS entertainment. Azure is an actual restaurant in my town that sadly went under and I am reviving it for this fic.

Chapter 1-Date Night

Friday

0900 Hours

FBI HQ

Quantico, VA

Spencer Reid was nervous today. He had agreed to let JJ set him up with a girl she worked with. The entire BAU was abuzz with the news, and he felt like he stuck out like a big sore thumb.

Garcia approached him, and he sighed. The girl's advice was likely to be loud and unnecessary.

"So, where are you taking her?" He smiled up at her as she settled into a chair she'd dragged along with her. He responds in a voice that he hoped she'd realized was highly annoyed.

"Um, we're meeting at Azure at 6." Garcia raised her eyebrows, Azure was a mid-priced but posh local restaurant.

"Wow, Azure. I hear their apple martini's are to die for. I keep trying to get Kevin to go with me, but he says it's stuffy." Spencer sighed, and settled back, realizing that the woman wasn't going to relent until she was finished.

"I will keep that in mind." He checked his email as she rattled on.

"What are you planning on wearing?" He looked sideways at her, and then at the outfit he'd spent two hours putting together that morning. Actually, JJ had phoned and spent two hours on the phone with him, going through his wardrobe piece by piece. He told Garcia this.

"Hey, JJ helped me to pick this outfit, OK?" Garcia opened her mouth, but was interrupted by Derek.

"Hey, Baby Girl. Leave lover boy alone, and come here." He shot his friend a grateful look, and smiled. He nodded once, and Spencer turned back to his work.

Meanwhile, a few miles up the road, at CIA HQ, Fiona Murphy was undergoing her own pre-blind date razzing. The redheaded woman sat miserably at her desk next to JJ's, while her colleague, Melanie James, grills her about the evening.

"So, Fee. Azure. Order the sea bass; it's fantastic." Fiona looks at her friend.

"When did you go there?" Melanie, a petite brunette with a penchant for bad boys, grinned.

"About four boyfriends ago. Remember the Top Gun pilot?" Fee shook her head, her red curls bouncing as she did.

"If I kept track of all the men you parade around, I'd have no time for anything else."

The other girl rolled her eyes, and took in her friend's appearance. Fiona was notorious for showing up for work in ratty jeans and ill-fitting flannel shirts, a holdout from her college days and a testament to the facts that 1) Fiona wasn't technically an agent, but a consultant, and 2) she could care less about the way she looked, because she believed that she was too smart to be pretty. Melanie was relieved to see that Fiona had taken some time to dress herself this morning, though.

"You look great. Is that a new suit?" Fiona shifted uncomfortably in her seat and wished that Melanie would go away. She shook her head.

"No, but I hardly wear it." Melanie nods.

"I know. Did you pick the blouse out yourself?" Fiona rolled her eyes, finding herself quite annoyed by her colleague's interest in her love life.

"Mel, I am not total crap as a woman. Yes, I picked it out myself. JJ suggested it, and she was right. Can you go away? I really need to concentrate here." Melanie sighed, but stood as JJ approached her desk. She finished the conversation quickly.

"Like I said, it's great. Call me when it's over; no matter how late. I want all the details." Fiona sighed and nodded as the brunette strolled off, heading for her section of their work area, and JJ spoke as she sat.

"Is Melanie harassing you already?" Fee looked up at JJ and nodded quietly.

"I don't think I can do this." JJ smiled as she flipped on her computer.

"You'll be fine. I will keep Mel busy today, OK?" Fiona looked gratefully to her colleague.

"Thank you." JJ nodded and began to work. She made a mental note to IM Spencer at noon and to help Fiona later that day. She turned to her calendar, and pushed the worries about her friends to the back of her mind.

1600 Hours

CIA HQ

The Pentagon

Fiona sat rigid in her desk chair as JJ finished helping her comb through her wild curls and Mel helped her with makeup. Fee felt a little silly, but was glad that she had her friends to help her, for they might tease her a bit, but really, Fiona was at a loss on most things female. She didn't have a mother, and her father had raised her alone. Although she had a step-mother now, and a half-brother, the woman had come into her life far too late for Fiona to benefit. She had picked up a few tips from her college friends, but nothing that she felt might appeal to the "gorgeous and fiercely brilliant" man that her new friend set her up with.

"Fee, relax. You're so tense. I'm finished." JJ smiled and handed her a compact mirror. Fiona took in her appearance and smiled. JJ had managed to make her wild, unruly curls fall into soft waves at her shoulders, and Melanie had loaned her a jeweled barrette that matched her blouse. She noticed that Mel had listened and kept the eye makeup really subtle, and the rest of her was natural. She embraced her friends, and then spoke with a sigh.

"Thanks, girls. I look good. I feel great. I am so lucky to have friends like this." Melanie nodded, pleased, and handed Fiona her glasses with a grimace.

"We'll have the contact-lenses chat some other day, OK? It's time for you to get going. But I have a present first." Fiona sighed again, and glanced at JJ, who smiled back, and patted the girl's arm. JJ had chatted with Spencer a bit over lunch hour, and she knew that the man was as nervous as the girl who now sat in front of her. She badly wanted this to work; Spencer was so desperately in need of a female companion, and Fee needed someone to tell her how great she truly was, other than her father and JJ herself. Especially since Spencer was now facing the loss of Prentiss, and Fee's father was ill.

She watched as Melanie handed the redhead a pair of sexy high heels, and nearly laughed. In the seven months that she'd been at HQ, and the few months she'd spent interviewing and such, she had never seen Fiona in anything other than hiking boots or sandals. In fact, Fiona said as much herself.

"Mel, you've completely lost your mind. I can barely walk in my boots. How do you expect me to go anywhere in THESE?" She held the shoes in front of her, arms extended, as though they were a snake that would bite her. Melanie laughed, and handed her a pair of shoes that JJ had seen for sale at the drugstore-ballet slippers that could fold up and fit into your purse.

"Take off your sandals right now, and put on the flats. I will put your sandals in my locker, OK? You can get them tomorrow. When you get to the restaurant, then change into the heels. You'll only have to go a few feet, and then you'll be sitting, OK?" Fiona nodded, and did as she was told. JJ giggled, and turned to her friend.

"Ok, Fee. You really should head out in a minute. Here's your bag," she handed Fiona the only feminine thing the girl owned, a slim line envelope purse, as she continued, "Now, listen to me. You're going to be fine. Don't forget to turn off your phone. Have fun. Just be yourself, and you'll be Ok. Spencer hates a lot of BS, but you're…you, so I think you'll be just fine. Finally, call me if you need anything else. Excuse yourself to the ladies' room and fill me in halfway, OK? Even if you don't think it'll work out." Fiona stands, and puts on her jacket as Melanie hands her a tube of lip gloss.

"Ok, Jenny. I got it. Thanks, Mel." Melanie nods.

"Don't forget to refresh your lipstick. And also, you know how when you get nervous, you tend to ramble on? Try not to do that. Let him talk a little, OK? Be safe. We'll see you Monday." They followed their friend outside as the others stared at the trio. They were used to seeing the redhead flanked by the two others, but usually only because Fiona was taller and had the most seniority, so today their stares were shocked ones. Even their supervisor, a normally gruff older man, stood outside of his office and as they passed, his mouth dropped open.

"Wow, Murphy. You clean up well. Good luck." Fiona shook her head, and slid into the cab that was waiting for her. She normally took the Metro everywhere, but tonight she feared she wouldn't have time.

At the same time that Fee was undergoing her transformation, Spencer was getting tips from Derek.

"Dude, just be calm. That's the best thing. Be yourself, too. Watch the nervous chatter, and remember that most people have never heard of Dostoevsky or whatever it is you're reading these days. Did JJ say what she looked like?" Spencer nodded miserably as both Garcia and Seaver came over.

"Yeah, she told me that the girl is a pretty redhead with glasses. I told her that this was DC, and that could be half the girls on the subway. I guess she is wearing a green shirt, too. So I look for the redhead in green with glasses, who looks like a CIA agent." Garcia giggles.

"Ok, Spence. Look, girls like it when you let them talk a bit. Call us if you need to. I have duty tonight, so I'll be around. I want all the details, OK? This is so exciting. Remember, have fun, be calm, take some deep breaths, and it'll be fine. You should go. Are you cabbing it or taking the Metro?"

"Metro. You're right. I guess it would look badly if I am late." He stands, locates his jacket, and turns to Garcia.

"Thanks, Garcia. Derek. Did you need something, Seaver, before I go?" The blonde girl shook her head, but reached out and straightened his collar. He pulled away from her, slightly annoyed. It wasn't that he didn't like the girl, it was just that the first day he'd met her, she'd come on a little strong, and it had frightened him. But it seemed that she had a thing with Rossi, so he was a little less annoyed by her presence than he once was. He nodded at her.

"Thanks. Well, I'll see you all Monday, then. Have a great weekend." He left quickly, ignoring the pointed stares from the other agents, who were unused to seeing the man leaving so early, dressed so well.

1800 Hours

Azure Restaurant

Somewhere in DC

Spencer waited outside the restaurant, checking his watch. He scanned the women that passed him by; some were attractive, some were not, but not one of them was a redhead that fit the description. Finally, a cab pulled up to the curb at the corner, and he watched in interest as a tall, slim redhead exited the vehicle. He couldn't yet tell if she was his girl, as she had her back to him, but he watched the lithe woman pause on the sidewalk and switch out her shoes, tucking the flats she wore into a slim line envelope bag. He smiled; women and their beauty habits made him happy. Suddenly, she turned, and he looked sharply at her. It was her, and he sighed in relief. JJ was right, the girl was pretty, a mass of thick, orangey-red hair falling to her shoulders. She adjusted the glasses she wore, and smiled, heading in his direction. She didn't seem to notice him until she was literally next to him, and she paused. She looked him in the eye, and grinned.

"Are you Spencer?" He nods, and takes in what he can see of her outfit; she is wearing a coat, but he can see her well-fitting suit pants, in a deep green, and the heels she wore were a little sexier than he'd expect from a CIA agent, but in general, he was happy with the sight in front of him. He extends his hand for a handshake, and she takes it, her handshake firm and precise.

"I am. You must be Fiona."

"Yes. It's nice to meet you." He smiles and indicates the door for her.

"Shall we?"

"We shall."

He grins as she opens the door to let them into the restaurant, and she smiles as he holds the door. They are silent as they wait for the waiter to seat them, and as they sit, she speaks.

"So, what did JJ tell you? About me, I mean." He smiled.

"Just that you work with her, aren't technically an agent, and are a redhead." Fiona nods, and he asks her the same question.

"Same basic thing. You work with the FBI, you have multiple degrees, and are cute. Actually, her exact words were "fiercely intelligent and gorgeous." He smiled, a little proud, and spoke.

"Well, score one for JJ. So tell me about the shoe thing." She looked at him, surprised, but was interrupted by the waiter, who took their drink orders. That was one of the most awkward times of the date, Fiona thought, because you wanted to order wine because you liked it and it made you feel sexy, but at the same time, you didn't want to lose control. She was relieved when he asked if she'd like to order a bottle of the house red-a satisfactory compromise, she thought. That way, she could have her romantic fantasy, and still keep her pride. She agreed, and they placed their order. Finally, she turned back to him.

"I'm sorry, what shoe thing?"

"Oh, I saw you leaving the cab, and then you changed your shoes." She hesitated, and then responded.

"Yes. I am not very good at walking in high heeled shoes, so I changed into them, to avoid falling. I am sorry; you weren't supposed to see that." He grins.

"It's OK. They don't look very comfortable. Or safe." She shakes her head.

"They aren't. On either count. But my co-worker Melanie says they're sexy, and so she loaned them to me. I normally prefer hiking boots or sandals. Occasionally I will wear flats, but only if it's a big case. You see, I went to school at Dartmouth, and it was really cold all the time, and I didn't have a mother for the longest time. My father wasn't exactly the type to raise a girly-girl; he was a mechanic, and did the best he could." He gazes across the table at her, amazed that he found a girl who was as much of a prattler as he was. He asked her another question.

"May I ask what happened to your mother?" Fiona shrugs.

"She left us. I don't know why, not really. But one day when I was six, she dropped me off at school, and I never saw her again. A few weeks later, my dad sat me down and told me they were divorcing, but I don't think I realized then what that meant. But it was just him and me until I was 17, and then he married my step-mother, Dina, but by then, I was away at school, and so we didn't get really close. But she's nice enough, I guess, and takes good care of him. She had a son a little later, my half brother Liam." She realized she was rambling on, and stopped speaking for a moment. She sighed internally, and decided to ask him a question.

"So. What do you do for the FBI, exactly? JJ said you're a profiler, but how does that work?" He nodded in agreement.

"I am a profiler, though like you, I am not technically an agent. I have a PhD in criminal psychology, and one in Russian Literature. Profiling is basically figuring out why a suspect commit's a crime based on his or her psychological traits, which we try to figure out using their background, medical history, and other clues. Sometimes it's really easy, and sometimes it's really hard." She nods.

"Wow, that sounds like interesting work. Do you find that it's successful?" He nods.

"Definitely. We've only been wrong a handful of times, but we still got the bad guys." She laughs as the waiter appears to take their dinner orders and refill their wine glasses. Fiona realized that she was having a nice time, and felt herself smiling again. She ordered the Gnocchi while he had the sea bass, and they continued on in their conversation.

"So, Russian literature, huh? Incidentally, I speak Russian. Actually, that's what I do for the CIA. I am a linguist. I am actually fluent in five languages." He looks at her, impressed and surprised that JJ hadn't revealed this detail. He smiles, and gestures for her to continue. She sips her wine, and speaks.

"I am fluent in Russian, Farsi, Hindi, Latin, and Gaelic." He nods, impressed, but questions the Gaelic.

"Gaelic? Really?" She nods and replies.

"Yeah, my father's family is Irish. I grew up having my Nana yelling at me to get my red head into the kitchen, because in Ireland, if a woman can't cook, she can't catch a man, and a man was your ticket out of the Bogs. We're Southern Irish, from Cork."

She stopped speaking, and sipped at her wine. As they sat through another awkward silence, their food arrived, and Spencer began his meal, watching his date intently. A lot could be determined by how and what a woman ate. For example, if she only ordered a salad, ate only half of it, and complained about the calories, she was likely high maintenance, and he didn't have the time or will to deal with that. But Fiona, so far, seemed real, and sure enough, she was eating her pasta as if was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten. He found himself enjoying her company, and chuckled to himself.

"JJ never mentioned that you knew so many languages." Fiona shrugged.

"I'm not sure she knew. I am the Slavic language specialist; it's my passion, but I do help out on special ops if and when I'm needed." He considers, then speaks.

"Interesting. Say, do you know anything about Russian literature?" She smiles, and nods.

"Of course." He nods as he watches her finish her dinner. He smiles, and finishes his, as well. Suddenly, she stands and picks up her purse.

"Please, excuse me. I need to use the ladies room." He nods and she hurries across the room, careful to not pull out her cell until she is safely around the corner near the restrooms. She quickly dials JJ, and barges into a miraculously empty stall. JJ answers on the first ring.

"Fee? Is everything OK?" Fiona nods, and begins to breathe rapidly as she tries to speak.

"Its…great. I can't breathe." JJ laughs, but tries to soothe her.

"Ok, relax. Take a deep breath," she listens as Fiona does it, and continues. "Go wash your hands now, and then talk to me." Fiona exit's the stall and JJ hears the water running. She hears her friend's breathing even out, and she speaks.

"Ok, Fee. I am glad it's great. Are you OK?"

"Yeah, sorry. I am just still a little nervous. You didn't tell me he was a Russian Lit fan. I think he might just hit the bid." JJ laughs.

"What does that even mean?"

"I don't know; it's one of Syd's phrases."

"Your stepmother is odd. You should probably hang up with me and go back to him." Fiona nods, realizing too late that her friend can't see her. She speaks.

"I will. Oh, and JJ? Thanks."

"You're welcome." They hang up, then Fiona checks her teeth for food, and, seeing that she is fine, she heads quickly back to the table. She discovered that Mel had been nice enough to put some insoles in the shoes, thus making it a little easier to walk. As she arrives back at the table, Spencer smiles up at her, and she takes her seat.

"Did you want dessert? They've taken our plates." She shrugs.

"I don't care either way, truly. I don't usually eat sweet things, but I do rather like them, I think." He nods.

"Well, let's check the menu, and then decide. Does that work?" She nods.

"Yes." They flag down a waiter, and ask for the dessert menu, and Spencer is further impressed when she turns to him after announcing that she will have the chocolate cake and a glass of tawny port.

"We were discussing Russian literature before I had to excuse myself. Anyway, I am currently re-reading Anna Karenina for, precisely, the 22nd time. The unabridged version."

"Translated?"

"Original."

"Wow." He grinned, sure he'd found a kindred, and was about to invite her to a Russian film festival he was originally scheduled to attend with Prentiss, when their dessert arrived, and they ate in silence, enjoying each other's presence, and sharing shy looks over the table. Finally, they finished, and Fiona spoke.

"That was great, I had heard this place was a bit stuffy, but I didn't think that at all, did you?" He shook his head.

"I heard the same, but I agree with your assessment. And would you please excuse me? I myself need to use the restroom." She nods.

"Certainly."

Once inside the restroom, Spencer dials Derek.

"Reid? I thought you were out for the evening."

"I was. I mean, I am. I just wanted your advice. We've finished dinner, and I wanted to ask her if she wanted to do something else. Is that OK? Or would that be moving too fast?" Derek laughs.

"No, it's fine. Are you thinking of asking her to your place?"

"No. I was thinking that we could go and get another drink. I want to talk to her more. All night if I could." Derek laughs.

"It sounds like it's going well. Look, how about seeing if she wants coffee? The diner on W st. is open all night." He nods.

"Thanks, Morgan." He washes his hands and returns to the table to find Fiona deep in thought, and he looks to her, and speaks.

"Fiona? Are you all right?" She snaps to the present, and smiles.

"Yes, sorry. I apologize; I zoned out." He nods, and sits back down as the waiter appears with their check. Fiona clears her throat, and he looks at her.

"Yes?"

"Do you, um, should I pay for my half?" He shakes his head; he had old-fashioned notions about the role of men and women when they are on a date.

"No, but thank you." She nods.

"Of course, if you're sure." He nods, also.

"It's really OK." She smiles as he pays their check, and she speaks to him.

"Thank you, then, for dinner. It was lovely." He replies.

"You're welcome. Say, there's this 24 hour diner nearby, are you interested in coffee?" She nods once.

"Sure." They exit the restaurant, and Fiona stops on the side of the street. He looks at her, confused, and she giggles as she removes her heels.

"I am sorry; I am sure that these shoes are far sexier, but if we want to walk anywhere, I am afraid I must wear my flats." He shrugs, but nods, and replies.

"Yeah, they don't look very comfortable. By all means, please." She giggled as she slid into her flats, and then gestured for him to continue up the street. They head for the diner, walking close together, aware of a chemistry building between them, and chat.

"What about your family?" She looks up at him, realizing that they hadn't spoken much about him. He hesitates, unsure about how much he should say, but when she smiles lightly, and tells him that he doesn't have to talk about it if he didn't want to, he inhaled, and began.

"My parents are also divorced, although neither one has remarried. My father lives in Las Vegas, near where I grew up, though we're estranged. My mother is quite ill, and lives in a care facility." He stops as they arrive at the diner and duck into a booth. She looks him over, and raises an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry. May I ask what she is ill with?"

"Well, it's not ill, per se. She has mental health problems." Fiona nods, and looks sadly at him.

"I understand. You don't have to tell me anything that makes you uncomfortable."

"It's alright, it's just weird still, saying it aloud. Until I joined the FBI, it was kind of just this big secret I carried around, worried that people would judge me if they knew, or pity me, which is worse, I think." Fiona nods.

"I know what you mean. In school, a lot of people knew that I didn't have a mother, and some of the kids were mean. It was difficult." He smiles lightly, and they both order hot tea and talk some more.

"I am sorry you lost your mom so young, that must have been hard for a girl. I have heard that children identify best with their same-sex parent." Fiona grimaces.

"I suppose. Like I said, Dad was a mechanic, and while he did his best, he definitely wasn't a mother. I don't think I knew what a "girl" was supposed to act like until I was older. Besides, I have thought, until very recently, that I was too smart to be, well, pretty, and care about clothes and things like that. I am slowly starting to take an interest, but it's taken a while." He chuckles lightly.

"Well, you are pretty." He blushes a bit, and looks to the table as their tea arrives, and then he speaks again. "Sorry."

"It's Ok. Thank you." They sit in silence, the pauses becoming less awkward, and sip their tea before they speak again. It is Fiona this time.

"So, I know you know JJ from her former job. What was she like?"

"Kind of like a cross between a mother and a friend. She cared about me, all of us, really, and she cooked for us all, and made sure we were healthy, and if there was stuff going on, on the job or in our personal lives, she made it a point to ask us about it and be there for us. What is she like now?"

"Kind of like the older, cooler sister I never had. I haven't known her as long, but I think we're starting to form a bond. I like the way she talks about her son, and her husband, as if they were the most amazing thing in the world. I wish for that someday." Spencer nods.

"Me, too. Did you know that I am Henry's godfather?" Fiona nods, and swallows before responding.

"I did. And another girl you work with is his godmother." He nods.

"Penelope. She's our computer technician. She's quite good at her job, actually." Fiona nods.

"You all sound so close. Our team is undergoing a transition right now, so we are kind of at loose ends. I try not to get too attached to work people, anyway, because they move on. Since I am not an agent, and I have lived here in DC my whole life, I think this is where I'll stay, at least for the time being. I mean, if I ever find the right guy, and he wants to move or takes a job somewhere…I don't know. I think that would definitely be worth it." He sits, quietly, turning her words over in his head.

"We are undergoing a transition, as well. JJ left first, then our colleague, Emily Prentiss was killed, and they brought in this new girl who is a little…oh, wet behind the ears, and our supervisor lost his wife last year, and takes off a lot to be with his son, and it's-it's just been a tough go for us lately." Fee nods, sadly.

"I understand. I used to work computer crimes, but then I switched to special ops after a team mate was killed in the field. We were after this pedophile, who was tracking his victims on the Internet, mostly through social networking sites, and I guess he didn't want to go to jail quietly. I was actually the bait-I posed as a 17 year old girl and lured this guy to my "parents" home, and it was a mess. He caught on pretty quickly that I was neither 17 nor alone, and when he realized that, he got violent, and the agent-Rodriguez-stepped in to save my six and was shot and died that evening. It was terrible, and I feel guilty, still, and he had a wife and a kid-it was just so overwhelming. In special ops, we generally don't see a lot of field work, so I think it's a little easier that way."

Spencer surprised himself by reaching out and touching her hand. She smiled at him and looked away, but didn't flinch or pull her hand away. He spoke to her, soothingly.

"It's not your fault, you know."

"I know." He pulls his hand away from hers and finishes his drink as she does the same.

"I'll buy this time. I know it's not dinner, but really, I want to." He nods, and sighs, but allows her to pay, and they leave quickly. Since it is late, the night has gotten colder, and he watches as she shivers a bit, her coat was warm, but she'd neglected to bring a hat and gloves. Even though it was still mid-February, the day had been unseasonably warm, but now it was colder than she'd expected.

Spencer slipped off his own jacket and placed it around her, watching her smile as he did so. He smiled back.

"Better?"

"Yes, thanks. I didn't realize it would get so cold. But now you're freezing." He laughed, and shook his head, even though he actually was.

"I'm OK. I'm tougher than I look."

"Well, then. Thank you. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome." They pause, and look at each other for a moment. Fiona speaks first.

"Um, so I was planning on taking the subway home; I live in Georgetown Commons, so it's a little bit of a commute from here." He grins.

"Actually, that's near me, so I'll ride with you to my stop, if you like. I get off at 7th and McAllister." She nods.

"Well, I am the stop before that, Hill and Jefferson, so that sounds wonderful. Thanks." They head for the Metro station, his hand on her elbow, and she is acutely aware of his touch, and the burning in her stomach. They board the train, and Fiona tells him that she rides the Metro often. He says the same, and she laughs.

"Well, to think we've been riding the same train all this time and never spoke before." He shrugs, but nods.

"I know. It's odd." The train is fairly empty, given the late hour, and since they are heading in the opposite direction of the usual Friday night scene, they make their normally-20 minute commute in ten. As they approach their stops, Fiona turns to him.

"I've had a wonderful evening. Thank you." He nods, and grins.

"Me, too. Thank you." She grins back.

"So, um, if you're interested, there's this Russian film-" he cuts her off, excited for the words about to come out of her mouth.

"The Festival at the Grove at the University on Sunday afternoon?" She nods.

"Yes. Would you like to come? I don't have a ticket yet, but I know someone on the committee, so I could probably score some." He shakes his head, and laughs.

"No. I mean, yes, I want to go with you, but I don't need a ticket. I bought one awhile ago, two actually. I was supposed to go with Prentiss-she knew Russian, too-but anyway, hers is now available." Fiona nods.

"Ok. Great. It's a date, then, I guess." He nods, smiling.

"Yes." Just then, the conductor announces her stop, and they both stand. He speaks to her as she looks up at him, confused.

"I'll walk you to your building." She nods.

"Thank you." They hurry off of the train and up the stairs to the street level. She indicates the southbound exit, and they arrive in the cool night air again. She still has his jacket wrapped around her body, and as they walk together up the street just a few feet, he smiles. He is happy, and decides that he will kiss her goodnight, if she lets him. She stops in front of an older brick building, and smiles.

"This is me. Again, thanks for dinner. I had a lot of fun, and it was nice to meet you, Spencer." He smiles back, and nods once.

"Agreed. You are welcome, Fiona."

"Please, call me Fee from now on."

"Ok, Fee it is."

"Great." They pause again, in awkward silence, before he leans in, and Fiona smiles lightly, and extends her face for his kiss. He goes for a soft kiss on her mouth, and when he pulls away, he hears her sigh, and smiles. His brain is now working overtime, trying to calm his body, and in an instant, Fiona has shrugged out of his jacket, and has located her door keys. Her voice brings him back to the present.

"Well, I guess this is goodnight. Sleep well, Spencer, and I'll see you Sunday." He grins, a big, wide smile, and nods.

"Yes. Sweet dreams, Fee." She waves as she enters the building, and the waiting elevator. He grins as he turns back down the block, heading for home. He dials JJ on the way, but it goes to voicemail, and he leaves her a message.

"JJ, this is Spencer. Thanks for setting me up with Fee; I had a great time. Call me back tomorrow; Sunday, I am seeing her again. Bye." He couldn't know that she didn't answer because she was on the phone with Fiona, who was telling her what a fantastic time they'd had.

As they were preparing for bed, JJ turned to her husband.

"Will, it's soooo great. They totally hit it off." He smiles and kisses her.

"I'm so glad, my dear."

End of Chapter 1.


	2. Chapter 2

Spencer and the Redhead, Part 2-The Girlfriend

Spencer and Fee were now officially an item. They had been dating for a few months, and had slept together on their fifth date, which had been a movie-and-pizza double date with JJ and Will. The whole team had noticed that their friend and colleague was happier, more relaxed, and able to focus more. Now, it was the day of Hotch's annual Fourth of July picnic, and the day Spencer would debut her to the team.

1100 Hours

Spencer Reid's Home

Washington, DC

Fiona arrived at his place at 11 am on the button. He had to hand it to her; his girlfriend was prompt, and as such, he had learned to be more exacting with his time. He smiled as he let her in; they had not yet exchanged keys or discussed moving in with the other; he planned to have that conversation tonight, and he was hoping he could convince her to move into his place.

She was dressing better these days-his presence in her life, and quiet reassurance that she was pretty-was the catalyst she'd needed to start concentrating on clothes that would appeal to him. He took in her outfit, today she wore a white cotton eyelet sundress with spaghetti straps, a blue cardigan, and flip-flop sandals with a red, white, and blue grosgrain strap at the toe. She wore her red hair in a ponytail, and had secured it with a white scarf that matched her dress. She wore just the slightest hint of makeup-mascara, a little blusher, and a light lip gloss-which was one of the things he liked best about her-that she wasn't fussy and high-maintenance. He leaned in and kissed her hello, and was rewarded with a large smile.

"You look great, sweetheart." She beamed, and responded in kind.

"You too, Spence. Is that a new shirt?" She giggled at her own cleverness, for the white linen shirt he sported was a gift from her. He sighed, but nodded, and gathered the things they'd need for their day. He watched her from the kitchen as she settled herself on the couch, and pulled on her glasses. She had also taken to wearing contacts sometimes, but still needed reading glasses to help her see fully. He smiled, but noticed that she was looking really nervous, and as she paged through the magazine she now held, he spoke to her.

"Fee, dear. What's wrong?" She sighed, and looked up at him, and stood to enter the kitchen. As she did, he embraced her, and then, as she began helping him with the containers of food they'd volunteered to bring, she replied.

"What if your friends don't like me?" He was standing at the fridge, shifting bottles of water and some chardonnay into a cooler, and he chuckled as he shut the door, and turned back to her.

"Sweetie, don't be silly. They'll adore you. In fact, Garcia has already made you her new best friend." She laughed.

"Ok. You're right. I can't wait to meet them. Oh, and everyone at work told me to tell you that they thought we were totally adorable together, and Webb thought you were great."

Spencer had gone with her to a work function the week before, and had met her co-workers. He hoped he'd made a good impression, and now he felt good that he did, although he still had his doubts about her coworker, Melanie. The woman was a little like Seaver, flirty and gorgeous, and she knew it. But he had survived, and so had their fledgling romance. He smiled again, and nodded once.

"Great. I am glad it went well. I liked Webb, too." Webb was her direct supervisor; her Hotch, and he'd liked the older man immensely, and appreciated the way he looked after Fee as if she was his own daughter. Fiona smiled, pleased, and placed some Tupperware containers into a tote bag she'd brought along with her. He found his keys as she grabbed her purse-a newly-purchased straw bag. They climbed into his car, and began the trek across the river to Hotch's home. Fiona had thought to bring along a small present for Jack, and as they drove, she showed it to him.

"Look, honey. It's a plane. But you can take it apart, and paint it." He smiled, and nods at her.

"I think he'll like it a lot. It's a great idea." She smiles at him, and they continue on, chatting mostly about work and their next date.

From the kitchen window at Hotch's house, Penelope can see Spencer drive up in his old Volvo, a pretty redhead at his side. She squeals, and calls out for the others.

"They're here. Spencer and Fiona, I mean." Laughter met her announcement, and Kevin's voice coming from the other room.

"Sweetie, it's not nice to spy. Come in here, and Hotch will meet them. Besides, you'll drive yourself crazy trying to see her through the window."

She sighed, but retreated from the window. He was right; the woman wore sunglasses, and besides, she was fairly certain that Spencer wouldn't let her exit the car until he was ready. She settled onto the sofa between her boyfriend and Morgan, and waited with baited breath for the doorbell. A long moment later, it rang, and she nearly jumped up with delight. Kevin pulled her to him, and she sighed, but calmed down as she heard both Hotch and Spencer's voices in the front hallway.

"Hi, Spencer. Please, come in."

"Thank you. May I introduce Fiona? Fee, this is Aaron Hotchner, my supervisor. Hotch, this is Fiona Murphy." A decidedly female voice joined the group, and the others strained to hear.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, sir. Spencer has told me wonderful things."

"Likewise. Everyone has gathered in the living room; please, make yourself comfortable, and grab something to drink. JJ has been in the kitchen all day; I can't talk her out of there." She laughed.

"I'll see what I can do. Oh, this is for your son."

They approach the living room, and from her vantage point on the sofa, Penelope can see that the pretty redhead is extending a gift bag to Hotch. Garcia inhales, the woman whose elbow Spencer held was more than pretty, she was gorgeous, all curly red hair, slim figure and wide smile. She wore just a tiny bit of makeup, and a cute little sundress. As Hotch took the bag, he thanked her, and then the girl and Spencer turned into the room. She smiled a mega-watt smile, and Spencer took a deep breath. He smiled, as well, and looked around at the faces of his friends and coworkers, and then opened his mouth.

"Everyone, this is Fiona Murphy." From the kitchen, JJ appeared, and bustled them into the living room, seating them at the opposite end of the sectional sofa, on the other side of Derek.

"Fee, this is Derek Morgan. Derek, this is Fee." Spencer chuckled, but spoke in a lightly scolding tone to his friend.

"Thanks, JJ. Fee gave Hotch some wine we brought." JJ steps back, catching Spencer's hint that she was meddling. She nodded, and turned to head back into the kitchen as Spencer continues to introduce Fiona. He started with Garcia, and as he spoke to the heavyset computer girl, she stood and embraced his girlfriend.

"Fiona, this is Penelope Garcia, and her boyfriend, Kevin Lynch." Fiona looked surprised as the woman embraced her, but smiled warmly and spoke in a light, even tone.

"Garcia. It's nice to meet you finally. Spencer and Jenny have told me so much about you."

"I've been dying to meet you. I am so glad you came today. It's funny that you call JJ "Jenny", though." Fiona laughed, and replied.

"I guess. But she's not JJ to us. Just Agent LaMontagne, and that sounds so…I don't know, Southern, I guess." They laugh, and Spencer stands and guides her to where Will, Rossi, and Seaver are seated, playing with Jack and Henry. He introduces Fee to the agents, as she already knows JJ's husband.

"Fee, this is Dave Rossi, and Ashley Seaver. This is my-" This time it is Rossi who interrupts.

"Ah, the girlfriend. It's nice to meet you, my dear." Spencer gives him the evil eye, but Fee nods, and laughs again.

"Thank you. It's my pleasure. Fiona Murphy." She shakes his hand, and Spencer notices that Seaver is looking her over, slightly suspiciously, and he grimaces at her. She smiles at Fiona, though, and speaks.

"It's nice to meet you, Agent Murphy." Spencer sees Rossi nudge her, but Fee either doesn't notice or doesn't care, because she simply smiles and greets the girl.

"It's nice to meet you too, Agent Seaver." Spencer quickly tries to change the subject, and indicates Will.

"And of course, you already know Will." Fiona smiles another mega-watt smile, and nods.

"Yes, of course. Hello, again." Will smiles up at his wife's friend, and they watch as Henry toddles up to the woman, and reaches for her.

"Fee-na." They laughed at the little boy's pronunciation of the name as Fee lifted him to her hip.

"Hello, Mr. Henry. How are we today?" The little boy looked at her, serious, and she laughed and settled him back on the floor. She turned to Spencer, who pulled her away from the group, and far away from the judgmental eyes of Ashley Seaver. As they settled back onto the couch, she leaned into him and spoke in a low voice.

"Sweetheart, would you mind getting me something to drink?" He smiles and nods at her, and rises to head for the kitchen. Just then, Hotch enters the living room, JJ follows.

"Will, can you start the grill, please, baby?" He smiles and nods at his wife, and stands, excusing himself to Rossi and Seaver as he leaves. Hotch speaks.

"Ok, everyone. Let's head outside, our lovely JJ has informed me that the food is just about ready, and Will is firing up the grill, so we will have burgers and hot dogs in just a few minutes time." They all stand, and file out into Hotch's large backyard. Fee is swept away from Spencer by JJ and Garcia, and he watches carefully, sipping his drink, as she falls into laughing conversation with the ladies. He smiles, delighted that his female friends like her, and turns to Morgan, who is at his flanks.

"So, Derek. Where is the lovely Angela?" His friend grimaces, and responds.

"Out to dinner with some other guy." Spencer bites his lip.

"Oooh, that sucks. I'm sorry, man." Derek shrugs.

"It is what it is. Anyway, your girl, she's great."

"Thanks." He speaks to his friend.

"So, I'm thinking about asking her to move in with me."

"Wow, big step. Congrats." He smiles.

"I hope she says yes. I think I'm starting to love her, you know?" His friend nods.

"I do. That's so great, Spencer. I am happy for you, you deserve it." Spencer smiles.

"Thanks. I appreciate it. And I never did thank you for your advice the first night. I appreciate it. And all your help since." Derek nods.

"Anything for the boy genius." Spencer chuckles, but turns to Fee as she approaches again.

"Hey, Derek. Spencer, Will has finished with the meat. Are you ready?" He nods, and lets her lead him to some tables near the grill. They filled their plates, her odd food habits peeking through, and he teased her gently.

"Oh, sweetie. Will worked hard on the meat; indulge a man, won't you?" She smiled, but shook her head.

"Sorry. Meatless buns for me today. But help yourself, baby." He smiles back.

"Oh, believe me. I will." She laughs as he scoops her some macaroni salad, and she does the same.

As they settle in to eat, Garcia and Kevin sit next to them, and the four fall into conversation as Hotch and Rossi stand off to the side, and they speak.

"Well, Aaron, I think our Dr. Reid has met his match."

"Agreed. But I worry if he won't push her away." Rossi considers, but shakes his head.

"No, I think that now he's introduced her to all of us, he realizes that we will stop him if he does that. I think he's fine."

"I suppose you're right." Rossi laughs, and they continue to watch as Spencer kisses Fiona's head and pours her more wine.

Later, after Fiona had excused herself to the restroom, she reemerges from the restroom to be stolen away by Seaver. Spencer grimaces, sighs, and prepares himself to intervene if needed. He watches from afar, flanked by both JJ and Garcia.

"What does Seaver want with Fee?" asks JJ. He shrugs.

"I don't know. She was a little cool to her inside." Garcia rolled her eyes, and clucked her tongue.

"Are you two totally dense or what? Hello, the Seav has been after Spencer since day one." Spencer turned his head to face her.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes." She chuckled, but they watch as Fiona's expression changes from her natural joy to a more forced smile, and then the smile left her face. Spencer tensed, and moved to walk to her, but then Fiona turned away from Seaver and headed in his direction. Once she was within reach, he pulled her to him.

"What did she say?" Fiona laughed.

"Just that she had had a thing for you, but she sees how close we are, and so she wishes me luck, and if we get married, could I be sure to toss the bouquet her way." He laughs, and pulls her closer as he whispers in her ear.

"Are you ready to head home?" She nods, and whispers back.

"Yes. My place or yours?" He grins, and whispers back.

"Mine. I want to talk to you. Plus, we can see the fireworks better." She laughs, and they make their excuses and hurry to Spencer's. They settle in as she takes down her hair, and he pulls her to him on his couch, after pouring her a glass of wine. They sit in their usual embrace on his couch, and kiss for a minute. He pushes some hair behind her ears, and smiles. She smiles back, and speaks.

"So, you wanted to talk?" He nods, and kisses her head, then sighs.

"Yeah. Ok. I um, I wanted to know if you'd consider moving in with me. I mean, my place is bigger, and well, we could each save some money by buying only one pack of toilet paper, shampoo, all of that." She grins, and nods.

"Are you, um, are you sure you're OK with that?"

"Yes."

"Then, yes. I will. But I don't think it can happen for a few weeks; I just paid rent for the rest of the month." He nods, and kisses her neck, then responds.

"I know, sweetheart. But I was thinking that maybe you could just gradually move stuff over, and we can make decisions about the furniture and stuff." She nods.

"Sounds good to me. Can I make a suggestion?" He nods again, and she continues. "I think we should try out your bed, and then we'll try mine, you know, just so we can decide which one to keep." He grins as she kisses him slowly and he stands and leads her to the bedroom.

Later, they relax on his couch, sharing long lazy kisses and reading. He sighs, happy, and she smiles up at him.

"What?"

"I don't know. I was just thinking about how nice it will be to come home and have you here, and vice-versa. I just-I've never had a real live, grown-up girlfriend before, and it's nice." She giggles, and speaks.

"Well, I don't know how grown-up I am, but I know what you mean. It's exciting." He nods, and kisses her neck.

"Precisely."

"I had fun today, Spencer. Even if that Seaver woman is a world-class bitch, she was OK." He laughs heartily.

"I'm glad you had fun. I told you it would work out." She smiles and nods.

"You did, and you were right." They continue in their usual evening routine-reading, kissing, and chatting, but tonight, they took a break to make love again and watch the fireworks. Fiona fell asleep in his arms, and as he kissed her head and placed her carefully in his bed before curling up next to her, he whispered to her.

"Goodnight, Sweetheart. Sleep well."

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

_Spencer and the Redhead_

_Chap. 3-Family Ties_

_2200 Hours_

_Reid/Murphy Home_

_Somewhere in VA_

_Spencer couldn't sleep, so he was lying in bed, reading, and watching Fee sleep. She sighs, smiles, and mumbles something intelligible, and he grins at her, and kisses her hair. He was amazed that she was his, her beauty and intelligence was a fantastic complement to his. They were very similar, both geniuses, but had different strengths and weaknesses that it was never boring. For example, he was possibly more socially adept than she was, but she knew how to fix his car. _

_They had now been living together for a few months, and he'd met her family. Her father was nice enough, an immigrant with a strong work ethic who wanted the best for his beloved daughter. Her step-mother was a Reform Jew with old-school money and handsome features, and the couple seemed as odd as Spencer and Fee themselves. Her half-brother was 17, and much like any regular 17 year old-busy with high school sports, girls, and video games. He wasn't as smart as Fiona, but did excel at math and science, and was planning to attend Spencer's alma mater, which had endeared him to his girlfriend's family immediately. _

_He wished she would be more open to finding her mother, as her father had learned that her maternal grandmother had recently passed away from cervical cancer, and the fact that Spencer knew that it was likely genetic and carried on the female gene had him worried for her. He was sorely tempted to use his contacts to locate her, but then she would likely kill him, so he knew better. _

_He sighed, and watched as Fee turned over, facing him. He shrugged and flipped off the table lamp, and settled down to attempt sleep again. As soon as he was comfortable, Fee moved her head to rest lightly against his chest, and he was able to calm down enough to doze off. _

_A little while later, the phone rang, and Fee groaned as he reached for the phone by the bed. He grimaced, praying that it wasn't work for either of them, and answered it, using his most annoyed tone. _

"_Hello?" _

"_Yes, hello. I am looking for Fiona Murphy. I was given this phone number from her supervisor at work. My name is Julie Smith, I'm with Metro PD. Her brother is here, and I can't get a hold of the minor's parents." He sighs, and wakes up Fiona. _

"_Sweetheart, it's the Metro PD. I think there's a problem with Liam." She sat up wearily while he flipped on the light, and pulled her close to him as she replies into the receiver. _

"_Yes, this is Fiona Murphy." The woman proceeds to tell her that her brother had been arrested for driving under the influence, and she was needed to pick him up now that he was sober. She remembered that her father and stepmother were out of town; they had gone to a wedding for Sid's family, and had left Liam alone, since he was 17. After she'd agreed to get her brother, she handed Spencer the phone, and leaned into him, almost in tears. _

"_Oh, man. What am I going to do? How could he be so stupid?" Spencer smiled lightly, and rubbed her back. _

"_Look, I think this is what normal teenagers do. You and I never led normal teenaged lives, so we don't know. But I think the big thing is that you try to be there for him, and not judge him too harshly." She sighs, and he feels her nod, and she pulls away from him and wipes her face. _

"_You're right. I'm sorry. You want to come?" He agrees, and they dress quickly, any illusions of attractiveness going out the window. Fiona gathers her CIA identification, as well as her firearm, and Spencer grimaces. _

"_Sweetie, this isn't a mission. I don't think you need your piece." She sighs, and shakes her head, but removes her holster and empties the gun's chamber before placing it back in the bedside drawer. He takes in her look and smiles; he liked her weird clothes best, and the messy way her hair fell in wild ringlets when she chose not or forgot to brush her hair. Tonight, she was wearing ratty jeans and a sweatshirt that read "Genius" on it, and was currently pulling on his socks. He frowned. _

"_Hey, those are my socks." She looked up at him, and nods. _

"_I know. Sorry. Mine are all dirty. I was planning to do laundry in the morning." He sighs, but nods, knowing that she'd been in the field all week, and he'd been too busy missing her to do the laundry. But she seemed oddly emotional right now, so he knew better than to argue. _

"_Ok, honey. Are you ready?" She nods, and stands, grabbing her purse from the nearby desk chair she'd dumped it when she'd arrived home late the previous night. They'd been so into each other since that he hadn't minded the unusually messy way she'd left her things out. She was generally neat as a pin, so he had chalked up to her missing him, too. But now he led her to her car, and offered to drive as they climbed in. She let him, and they sat in silence before she leaned forward and turned on Debussy in her radio, a sign that Spencer learned meant that Fee was highly annoyed. He shakes his head, but grins internally, and speaks lightly. _

"_Sweetie, please try to calm down, OK? Should we bring him back to our place, or do you want to crash at your dad's?" She turned to him. _

"_Can we bring him to our place? It's neutral for him, and where I feel the most comfortable. Dad's home is no longer mine, and sometimes, I feel like a piece of furniture." He considers her words, but nods. _

"_Of course we can bring him to our house. He can crash on the couch, and in the morning, we can all talk." She nods, and leans over to kiss his cheek. He pulls into the driveway at the police department, and turns to her as he kills the engine. _

"_Thank you. And thanks for being here with me. I am sure this isn't the idea you had in mind when I got back from the assignment, but I appreciate it." He touches her face lightly, and responds. _

"_You're welcome, sweetheart. Look, I care about you, and in turn, I care about your family and the things that happen to you and them." She smiles, but then sighs, and begins to exit the car. _

"_Well, let's do this." He climbs out of the car behind her, and guides her into the building. They locate the Juvenile Detention area and speak to the desk sergeant. Spencer stayed close to Fee, understanding that her shock and annoyance tended to cause her to become slightly unreasonable sometimes. _

_Sure enough, the man at the desk began questioning her. _

"_And are you an adult in charge of Mr. Murphy?" _

"_I'm his sister. Does that count?" _

"_I suppose. Why was he out alone this late at night unsupervised?" She sighed. _

"_My father and step-mother are out of town for a family function, and I work for the CIA. I just arrived back in town from an assignment." The man looks at her in disbelief. _

"_The CIA?" She assumes a look that Spencer recognizes means that she is about to blow up, and he steps in. _

"_Yes, sir. She truly does. Sweetie, why don't you just show him your ID, and perhaps I can go speak to the social worker." She nods, and he hurries off, seeing that she did indeed pull her government-issued ID out of her pocket. He looked for the person the detective had mentioned, and found a pleasant-looking Hispanic man sitting behind a beat-up metal desk, paging through some manila folders. Spencer clears his throat and the man looks up at him. _

"_Hi, I'm Dr. Spencer Reid, I live with Fiona Murphy, who is here about Liam Murphy." The other man nods, and shakes Spencer's hand. _

"_Nice to meet you, I am Paul Gomez, with the County. I can't really tell you much if you're not family." _

"_I'm Fiona's boyfriend. And I work for the FBI, so I can probably find out anyway." The man considered for a moment, but then sighed, and nodded. He indicated a chair for Spencer. _

"_Please, sit down. I spoke with the arresting officer, the woman who phoned you earlier, and I think that it's been decided that we won't pursue a criminal case against Mr. Murphy, as this is his first offense, and he was co-operative and his blood-alcohol level was low, .2%" Spencer nods, relieved for Fiona's sake, and speaks. _

"_Great, thank you. My girlfriend is dealing with the desk sergeant, and then we plan to take him to our home, but what will be expected of us and his parents later?" _

"_He will have a sentencing hearing, in front of a juvenile judge, but since he didn't harm anyone, and was co-operative, he should receive just a fine, and have his license revoked for one year. But, he will have to undergo alcohol counseling, and someone from Child and Family Services will look into the family's home life. We don't take cases of drunken teenagers lightly." Spencer nods. _

"_And neither do we. Fee and I will make sure he is looked after for the remainder of the weekend." _

"_Thank you. Once Mr. Murphy is released, you will be free to do with him as you wish, and someone will contact his parents with a court date." _

"_Great." The man extends his card, and Spencer takes it, and stands to find Fee. "Thanks for your time." The man nods and returns to his folders. Spencer shrugs, and looks around and sees a uniformed officer escorting Liam out of the holding area and into the Bullpen. He crosses the room and stands next to Fee, who embraces her brother, and then turns to Spencer. _

"_Let's go home." He nods, and escorts the two to the elevator as Fee speaks. "Lee, look, I am not going to say anything, because I am so upset right now. You're lucky Spencer is here, or you'd be dead right now. Don't forget, I work for the CIA, and thus, I know how to kill you and make it look like an accident." Liam rolls his eyes at Spencer, who smiles at the boy, and replies to his girlfriend. _

"_Honey. Now isn't the time. I spoke to the social worker; I'll tell you more when we get home, but the long story short is that they are not going to press charges." Fee nods, and smiles at him. He kisses her head as they head for the car. _

_The ride to Spencer and Fee's apartment is silent, but Spencer knows that Fee is quite upset when she switches his Debussy for her heavy rock music that Spencer hates. But he doesn't say a word as he guides her car down the empty, dark streets and arrive at their building. As they climb out of the car, and Fee grabs her purse, they are met by their doorman. _

"_Hello, Dr. Reid. Ms. Murphy. Young man." Fee nods to the doorman, who lets them into the elevator with a shrug. They continue on into the apartment in silence, and Fee excuses herself to Spencer and holes up in their bedroom. Spencer sighs at his girlfriend, but turns to the boy, who looks him over. _

"_You can have the couch. Your sister is a little annoyed; I'd let her be." _

"_Yeah, just warn me if she starts to hum the William Tell Overture. That's when she's really mad." _

"_I know. Let me get you a pillow and some linens." Liam nods as Spencer opens the linen closet and pulls down a pillow, blanket, and a pillow case. He hands the things to the boy, and wishes him a good night. He heads for the bedroom, and finds Fiona in the master bath, lying quietly on the floor, her head resting against the tile. He crossed to her, and sat her up, kissing her head. _

"_Sweetheart. What's wrong?" She looks up to him, sadly, and speaks. _

"_You should go to bed, honey." He shakes his head. _

"_No. What's wrong?" She sighs. _

"_My brother was drunk driving. In his aircraft-carrier of a car. How stupid could he be? Doesn't he know he could kill himself? Or someone else?" Spencer shrugs. _

"_He's 17, Fee. I didn't use a lot of common sense when I was 17." She smiled. _

"_You had enough intelligence. It's different." He chuckles, but shakes his head. _

"_Not really. It's not as bad as you think. Like I said, they won't press charges. But he will have to appear in front of a judge, and CPS will investigate." Fiona sighs deeply. _

"_Well, I guess it is what it is." He nods, and extends his arms to her, and she collapses against his chest, and inhales his the scent of his aftershave. It calms her, and he feels her relax against him. _

"_That it is, my dear. Are you ready for bed?" He nods, and releases her as she stands, and slips off the jeans she wore. He watches as she pulls her pajama pants on and slips out of the sweatshirt she'd tugged on over her pajama top, and removes her bra. He inhales as he undresses himself, and as they climb into bed, Fee reaches for him. Obviously, he will not sleep tonight, as his girlfriend has suddenly decided that intimacy will make it better. _

_The next morning, the phone rings early, and Spencer opens his eyes to find Fiona already awake, pacing their bedroom. She answers it, and he can make out that it is her father. _

"_Hey, Dad. You got my message? Great. Yeah, he's still here….I don't know. Spence and I will talk to him first…yeah, yeah. Call me when you get to town." She hangs up the phone and notices that Spencer is awake. _

"_Good morning, Spence. You can go back to sleep." He shakes his head and sits up. _

"_It's OK. I'm up now. Do you want some coffee?" She nods, but settles herself on the foot of the bed, and picks up her book. She scans the page, and then sets it down, sighing deeply. He pulls on some sweats and crosses to her, kissing her on her lips before he pulls back, and shrugs on a t-shirt. "You should get dressed, and we'll talk to him. Should I go down to the market and grab some bagels?" She shakes her head. _

"_No. I'll make some breakfast later." He nods, and continues into the kitchen, as she dresses quickly in the same jeans and sweatshirt she'd worn the night before, and followed behind him. They had a drip coffee machine, mostly used by Fee, and as Spencer prepared the coffee, Fiona settled herself into an armchair across from the couch where Liam still lay. He was awake, though, and stared out listlessly from the couch. _

"_Are you hung over?" The boy shrugs. _

"_Fee, do we hafta talk about this now?" Spencer entered the living room holding a steaming cup of coffee and handed it to his mate. She took it and sipped it before replying. _

"_Yes, Liam, we do. Because this was a very stupid thing to do. Don't you realize that your actions could have caused someone to die? What if you'd hit a little kid or something?" Spencer settled himself on the chair next to her, and placed a hand on her knee, to remind her that he was there for her. Liam sighed. _

"_Everyone else gets to go out and party, all the time. But not me. I have to stay home and help Dad at the garage, and mom at home." Fiona's blue eyes flashed, and Spencer touched her arm. She sighed, and replied. _

"_Look, I am not going to tell you that doing what all the other kids do is stupid, because if they all jumped off a bridge, of course you wouldn't. But this is inexcusable. I mean, if you want to go to a party, at least call me if you're too drunk to drive." The boy looked surprised, and responded in a low, quiet voice. _

"_I didn't know that was an option." _

"_Of course it is. I'm your sister, and I do love you." _

"_You do? I thought you always hated me because I wasn't as smart as you, and Mom isn't your real mom. I thought that if I had told you I was partying, that you would tell Dad, and I'd be in trouble." Fiona rolls her eyes. _

"_Well, you're going to be in worse trouble now. But I've never hated you, Liam. I was jealous of you, actually, but hate-no." _

"_Jealous? Of me? Why?" _

"_A lot of reasons. Until I met Spencer, I felt really alone. Dad and I weren't close anymore; he didn't understand me and the things I was interested in, Syd is OK, but she wasn't my mom, and you had this whole normal, perfect life in front of you. I am-was-plain, and smart, and yes, I had a good job, but nothing to look forward to. I just worked all day, and came home at night to an empty apartment and Shark Week." Spencer takes her hand, and squeezes it lightly. Liam responds. _

"_I'm sorry, Fee." She nods once, and speaks again. _

"_Thank you. But really, was it a party so awesome it was worth it?" The kid shakes his head. _

"_No. But thanks for coming to get me. Thank you, Spencer, too." Spencer nods, and turns to Fee._

"_See, my dear, it's all worked out." She smiles lightly at him, and kisses his head. He smiles and continues, turning back to Liam. "You're welcome. Your father and mother are meeting us here when they arrive in a couple of hours; Fee and I will speak to them. We'll try to smooth things over. In the meantime, I think it's a good idea to get something in our stomachs, and maybe get you some painkillers. How's your head?" _

"_Pounding." Fee nods, and stands. _

"_How much did you drink?" _

"_I lost count after the vodka shots." Fee groaned and shook her head. _

"_Yep. We're Irish, kid. Stick to the whiskey and the Guinness." Spencer laughs and follows her to the kitchen. There, he wraps his arms around here and kisses the back of her neck as she begins to prepare some eggs and toast. _

"_You're sexy when you're annoyed, you know?" She giggles, and turns into him. _

"_Really? Maybe I should be annoyed more often, then?" He grins, and shakes his head. _

"_No. I much prefer a happy Fee." She giggles again, but lightly pushes him away. _

"_I have to cook. Can you help Liam clean up in there?" He nods, and turns away. Her voice causes him to turn back around. _

"_Did you mean what you said last night? About how the things that affect me and my family matter to you?" He nods, and mumbles to her. She raises her eyebrows, and he coughs a bit before repeating himself. _

"_Yes, I meant it. I really do care, Fee. Really." _

"_Thank you. I am so glad you could be here for me. I was ready to kill that sergeant." _

"_I know. But that's how it goes, I think, when you are in a relationship. You're there for each other." She smiled, kissed him, and tapped his butt to send him into the other room. A little while later, they are seated at the table, eating eggs and toast, and drinking coffee, chatting about their lives and Fee's case when the phone rings. Fee answers on the first ring, and discovers it's her father. _

"_Hey, Dad. Yeah, Liam's still here…well, I was thinking that maybe you should come here and Spence and I, and you and Syd could all talk before we talk to Liam…Ok. Great. I'll see you in a half-hour, then." She hangs up, and sighs, then turns to the boys. _

"_Seems like Dad and Syd are a half-hour out. You'd both better get dressed. Liam, I think Spence has some jeans you can borrow; is that OK, sweetheart?" He smiles and ruffles her hair. _

"_Yes. Let me go look." He rises as Fee turns to Liam._

"_Ok, kid. Spence and I will talk to Daddy, and we'll try to calm him down. He's pissed, but hopefully I can talk him down. Please know that Spencer is being really fantastic right now, and he didn't have to help me last night. But he did, so I want you to do something really fantastic to thank him." _

"_Ok, Fee. Thank him for me." She smiles as Spencer reappears, carrying some clothes. _

"_I will leave you alone to change. Please wash your plate and put it into the dishpan with the soapy water. I will wash it later." He nods, and she stands up and heads for the bedroom, pulling Spencer along with her. Once they are safely enclosed in their bedroom, she plops onto the bed, and pulls him down with her. _

"_Hold me for a minute, please?" He nods, and pulls her close, kissing her head. They lie in silence for a moment before she wiggles out of his grasp, and sits up and leans over to kiss his face. He smiles at her, and sits up. _

"_You should probably change before Dad and Syd show up. I will brush my hair and teeth, and then I want to talk to you, ok?" He nods, and stands to dress. He dresses quickly, selecting a casual pair of khaki's and a blue striped sweater. He runs a comb through his hair and strides for the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. He finds Fiona at the counter, lost in thought, her toothbrush in hand, but not being used. He takes her arm gently, and she smiles up at him, and rinses her mouth. _

"_Sorry. I am distracted. You look nice." He grins at her, but looks worried. She hasn't been herself since she returned from her work assignment, and they hadn't had time to talk about it. He worried and ached for her, but saw no way to speak with her about it until later in the day. _

"_Thanks, sweetie. You wanted to talk to me? Why don't you do it while I finish up?" She nods, and exit's the bathroom, and settles herself on the armchair in their bedroom. She sighs, and speaks to him. _

"_Ok. I hope this little incident doesn't affect you personally, or at work. I know that you guys sometimes work with DC police, and if CPS is going to get involved, they might want to interview you, and I don't want it to be awkward." He appears at the doorway, and looks at her. She is sitting cross-legged in the chair, a look of intense worry on her face. He quickly rinses his mouth and crosses to her, kissing her head. _

"_We'll deal with it. Is that what bothers you the most? The CPS thing?" She shakes her head. _

"_No, what bothers me is that I was out of town, and then when I got back, I was so desperate to see you. I should have called him, you know? I know he's 17, but he's just a kid, really." He sits next to her as she scoots over, and places his arm around her. _

"_You didn't do anything wrong. The sergeant said he'd been at the party for hours; even if you'd called, it wouldn't have mattered. He made a choice, and he learned that there's consequences, and now he is facing them. He's being really mature about it, so cut yourself some slack, OK?" She nods. _

"_Do you think Daddy will blame me?" He shakes his head. _

"_No. If he was worried that Liam would've done something wrong, he would have asked us to keep an eye on him. I don't think any of the three of you saw this." _

"_Did you?" _

"_No." He pauses before continuing. "How was your case?" She sighs. _

"_It was hard, but we caught the guy. Let's talk about it later, OK?" He nods, and holds his hand against her face. She smiles at him, and the buzzer rings. He stands, sighing softly. _

"_I'll answer it; it's probably your father." She nods, and stands to follow him. She stops in the kitchen, where Liam is still sitting, now dressed in Spencer's old clothes, and paging through some of Fiona's magazines. She speaks in a low tone to the boy as Spencer buzzes her parents up. _

"_Liam, can you go wait in the living room, please? I know you can hear, but put the TV on low." He nods, and does what she asks. She moves his empty glass to the sink, and quickly rinses the three plates in the dishpan and sets them to dry on the rack next to the sink. She wipes down the table and counters with a sponge, and rearranges the flowers that Spencer had bought for her when she'd come home on the table before starting another pot of coffee and pulling out some mugs. _

_A few moments later, her father and step-mother are sitting at the table, a manila folder in front of them, as Fee and Spencer settle in across from them. Spencer had met her family already, and he liked the closeness they shared, Fiona and her father in particular. Both of them were redheads, and her father still had his rough brogue. He appeared gruff and unfriendly, but you could tell after just a few minutes that he truly loved his daughter. He'd learned that Fiona had basically taken care of the both of them, cooking and cleaning and shopping, since her mom left and before her father had met Syd, who had been a client. _

_Now, the family was gathered around their table; they had chosen to keep Spencer's, since it was bigger and sturdier, but she had set up a cozy little eating area, replete with pretty linens and flowers in a vase. He had let her decorate the house; he had kept the walls pretty bare. She was not fussy, though, and had mostly added some art pieces, a Tibetan prayer flag in the living room, and plants everywhere. They loved to sit around their home and talk, watch movies and make love. Now, all thoughts of their carefree romance was gone, and all the faces were serious. Fiona was speaking to her father now. _

"_See, Daddy? Here's the report from the arresting officer; she's the one who called me last night. The desk sergeant was a pain in the ass, but Spencer had some luck with the CPS guy." _

_Spencer nods, but remains silent, allowing Fee to handle her father in the way she did. They chatted about the things that the CPS worker had told Spencer, and that they police had decided not to press charges, but had immediately taken his driver's license away. It was decided that if and when the CPS people came to interview the family, they would do it together, at her father's home. Her father speaks to them then. _

"_I am glad you were there for your brother, Fee. But I don't know what he was thinking. You were always such a good girl, never got into trouble. I am afraid that I'm a bloody mess at parenting a regular child." Fiona laughed, but grimaced. _

"_Daddy, you are fine. When I was Liam's age, I was in my second year at school. It was different. But Spencer says that normal 17 year olds sometimes do things like this to test limits. It's how they discover their personal boundaries or something. It's all very psychologist. He can explain it better." Spencer chuckled, and ruffled her hair again, and summarized his theory for her father. _

_Then Liam joined the conversation, apologized again, thanked Spencer and Fiona, and was grounded for the remainder of the year by their father. An hour later, the family had left, and Spencer melted onto the couch, exhausted. Fiona smiled and settled next to him, clutching a cup of coffee. _

"_What's wrong, Spence?" _

"_That was exhausting. I hope that's not what it's like all the time. Having children, I mean." She chuckles, and shrugs. _

"_I don't know. I don't imagine so." They remained on the couch in silence before he reached out for her. _

"_You've been different for the past few hours. What went on with the case?" She shifted uncomfortably. _

"_It just…turned out that the guy wasn't just a mobster, but was also trafficking women as prostitutes. One of the women had two children in the Ukraine, and had come to this guy, believing he could help her find a good job here. Instead, she wound up working for a pimp that was brutal. It was just tough. I think that we're going to try to reunite the family, but I don't know if they'll qualify for amnesty, and if she goes back as a former prostitute, her life won't be easy. They regard women differently there." He nods, understanding her horror, and strokes her face and collarbone, trying to soothe her. She continues. "My heart ached for her little boys; she had a photograph she kept in her purse, and she told me she looked at it before a trick, just to remind her why she kept herself alive. It was a tough week." He made sympathetic noises, and pulled her close. She spoke again. "It also made me sad. I wonder if my mom would have ever done that for me, you know? Risked her life and certainly her happiness to make a better life for me. Maybe I wouldn't be the way I am." He frowned, and replied. _

"_What do you mean?" _

"_Maybe I wouldn't be so scared to form attachments to other women. I wouldn't resent my father, and I could be more feminine." He shakes his head. _

"_I think you're wonderful. You trust me, right?" She nods, and smiles, and he continues. "I know you and your father have issues, but at least you know he loves you and cares about you. I don't have that with my father. As for your femininity, I think you're sexy, and you've come so far since the first night we met. You can actually do your own hair now. You don't need JJ or Mel or Penelope to come over." She laughs. _

"_I guess you're right." He nods. _

"_Of course I am. I'm a genius, remember?" She laughs again, and shakes her head. _

"_I remember. Hey, I read in the TV guide that War and Peace is on HBO at three. Let's nap, and then watch it." He nods, and picks her up and carries her to the bedroom as she giggles. He settles them onto the bed, pulls the duvet over them, and turns off the phone. As they lull into sleep, wrapped around each other, he whispers to her. _

"_I love you, Fee. And I love your crazy family, and your coworkers, and the way your hair reminds me of the sunset." She smiles a lopsided smile, and whispers back. _

"_I love you, too, Spencer." He sighs, happy, and kisses her hair as it spills across the pillows. They fall into a deep sleep, and dream of an epic romance, each other in the starring role. _

_End of Chapter 3_


	4. Chapter 4

Spencer and the Redhead, Part 4-the Proposal

0900 Hours

Somewhere in Atlanta

Spencer was away from home on a case, trailing a serial killer hunting African-American women in Atlanta, killing them, and then posing them in public places. He was antsy to get home; the next day was his one-year anniversary with Fiona, and he planned to mark the day with a proposal. He had it all planned out, provided that this unsub didn't spoil it.

He sighed to himself, but loud enough that Hotch had heard him and gave him a look, and Spencer shrugged.

"Sorry, sir. I'm just going to be glad when this case is over."

"Me, too. How's Fiona?"

"She's well, thanks."

"How are plans for the big night?"

"I think everything is in place, so let's catch this SOB so I can go home and do it already." Hotch chuckled, but nodded, and answered.

"We will do our best, OK? I need you to concentrate as best you can. Stay here with Rossi and process this stuff, please," his boss indicated the piles of papers and photos the local PD had amassed to solve the case. He sighed again, and nodded.

"Yes, sir. I'm fine." Hotch nods, and leaves the room they are in to go with Morgan for the final arrest, as they had narrowed in on a subject called Mark Chaney.

A few hours later, his phone rang, and he excused himself when he noticed the display was Fiona, and spoke to her.

"Hi, honey. How are you?"

"Fine."

"How's the new job?" She snorts. She had taken a job with NASA, as a liaison to both the French and Russian space programs, and was working to help India build theirs. Her job wouldn't require much travel, and she had taken it because they'd decided it would be better to have one of them available when the time came to have a family.

"It's…difficult. But I think that once I work out the mess of paperwork that the girl who did this job before me left behind, I should be OK. It's just a disorganized pile of junk right now." He grins, and nods, picturing Fiona in her office, surrounded by piles of NASA paperwork, and her color-coded filing system that she preferred, and the funny little colored tabs she used to separate documents.

"You'll figure it out, I'm sure." She chuckles, and replies.

"I'm sure. How is your case? Figured out who's done it yet?" He frowns, but answers.

"We think so. Hotch and Morgan hope to arrest him soon, and hopefully, I'll be home tonight. Are we still on for dinner tomorrow, provided this unsub doesn't keep me here?"

"Of course. I can't wait."

He smiles to himself. "Oh, I have to go. Stay safe, honey. I love you."

"I love you. Have a great day, and I'll see you later." They hang up, and he turns back to Rossi, who smiles lightly.

"So, tomorrow is the big day, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm kind of recreating our first date."

"That's nice. Good luck."

"Thanks." They fall silent as they work through the pile of papers, exchanging a pile when they have finished filing them to double-check each other's work. A little while later, both of their cell phones ring.

"It's Hotch." Rossi answers as Spencer nods, and flips open his phone, listening to Hotch through Derek's phone.

"We got him. We're bringing him in, and Seaver and JJ will meet us back there. Good job, people." Spencer sighs with relief, and shuts his phone. JJ had returned to the BAU earlier that month, about the same time that Fee had left, and having her back made him so happy. He smiled big at Rossi, and they handed the completed file to the police captain, and prepared to head back home.

The Next Day

1800 Hours

Azure Restaurant

Somewhere in DC

He'd wanted it be authentic, so he had agreed to meet Fiona at 6 at the same restaurant where their romance had began, and he had called several weeks in advance, and reserved the same table. He had picked out a ring, after polling all the girls at work and Fee's friends and her stepmother, and had chosen a princess-cut diamond, smallish, set in silver, and exquisite. Since she was so un-fussy, he knew that she would prefer the understated look of the jewel, and so he felt confident in his choice. He had slipped the ring into his pocket, and hoped that he wouldn't be too afraid when the time came. He was going to try to be as non-nonchalant as possible, sort of sliding the box out of his pocket and seeing if she noticed, which, of course, she would. He hoped.

Now, he was standing outside of the restaurant, waiting impatiently for her. A yellow cab pulled up, and he grinned as he saw her exit the vehicle. He took in her appearance; their first date had been a Friday, and she'd come from work, but today was a Saturday, and she had been out all day with her step-mother, getting her hair done and having a girl's day. He was glad she'd been getting closer to Syd; her family had welcomed him with open arms when he'd first met them, and were excited for her now when he'd gone there last weekend to ask her father's permission to marry her. She didn't know he'd asked, of course, and he'd sworn them to secrecy, outlining his plans for the evening, with the promise they'd call with the happy news that night.

She was wearing a dress that she had bought on a whim when they had gone to the mall around Christmas, and it suited her. It was a simple, pine green velvet wrap dress, but with her hair and pale skin, it looked dynamite. She'd had her hair shampooed and straightened, and had put in her contact lenses. The only thing that hadn't changed was her choice of shoes; she'd worn white sandals, but at least these were strappy, dressy ones. He smiled, and extended an arm to her.

"Well, Miss. Shall we?"

"We shall. You look lovely, honey." He, too, had bought new clothes for the occasion, and was wearing a very non-Spencer like outfit. Actually, it had been chosen by Garcia, but he had to admit that he looked good. He sported a pair of well-fitting, dark-wash jeans, a lightweight cashmere sweater in an eggshell shade, and a fantastic leather jacket that was rocking Fiona's world, or so she said. He felt a little out of place, deeming the outfit rather Morgan-like, but Fee's assurance that he looked good made him feel a little better. He grinned at her, and returned the complement.

"You, too. I love your hair; it's a good look for you." She beams up at him as they are seated, and she smiles big.

"Spencer Reid. Is this the same table we had on our first date?" He nods, pleased that she recognized it, and replies.

"Yes. You noticed."

"I did."

"Shall we order some wine? Or maybe some bubbly?" She grinned.

"The house red."

He grinned, too, and placed the order as she took in his actions. She loved him deeply, and was hoping tonight would be the night he'd ask her to marry him, but she hadn't wanted to hint at the issue, for fear that she'd push him away. So she had quietly hoped and wished, trying to wheedle Syd and JJ for any indication that he'd mentioned something to someone, but if he had, no one was giving anything away.

They chatted lightly about work, and about Liam's first semester at college. Since the DUI incident, the boy had been super-helpful to Spencer, and had completed the community service he'd been assigned, and was soon getting his driver's license back.

They ordered the same meals they'd eaten on their first date, much to each other's surprise and delight, and they talked about their plans to visit Spencer's mother the following month. She had yet to meet his mother, and was desperate to, but he had wanted to wait until he could tell his mother that he was marrying her, because he figured that the news would bring her joy.

They began their meals in silence, and halfway through, he excused himself on the guise of using the restroom. He hid behind the wall separating the dining room from the toilets, and pulled the box out of his pocket, and peering at it, saying a silent prayer that she'd say yes. He ducked into the men's room, adjusted his outfit, checked his teeth for food, and washed his hands. He hurried back to the table, clutching the box in his closed fist, and casually holding his hand behind his back, as if adjusting his shirt. He sits back down, and smiles at her.

"So, sweetheart. I've been thinking. I know we've only been dating for a year, and we've only lived together for six months, but I was hoping it would be OK if I gave you something." She raised her eyebrows, confused, but nods.

"Ok." He opens his fist and extends to her the ring box, and she gasps loudly, causing a couple at a nearby table to stop eating and listen. He hadn't planned on having an audience, but he inhaled deeply and continued.

"Will you marry me?" She is silent for a moment, biting her lip, and her eyes fill with tears before she nods and answers quietly.

"Of course." He grins, and opens the box, showing her the ring he'd chosen, and laughing when she snatched it away from him and slid it on herself. "I love it. Excellent choice. Did you have help?" He smiles, and nods.

"Yep. I was surprised that JJ hadn't already ordered us one, actually." Fiona laughed, and the restaurant, which had fallen silent when everyone realized what was going on at their table, went up in applause. She blushed a bit, and he sat back, grinning stupidly in happiness and relief. They finished their meal in silence, and skipped dessert to hurry home.

As they ducked onto the Metro train, she spoke to him.

"When did you decide to ask me?"

"When we were in Boston. Remember the Beacon Hill killer?" She nods and peered at her left hand, and he took it in his, and kissed her.

"I love you, Spencer. Thank you for a happy day. I guess we should call my dad when we get home; I wish you could have asked him." Spencer clears his throat, and looks out the window, a sign that he is holding something back from her. She tries to look annoyed, and he chuckles.

"I actually did. I went over last weekend, when you were at JJ's." She looked at him, incredulous, and spoke again.

"You sneak. I love it; it's dastardly and so not you. But I have to say, it's the greatest surprise ever." He laughs, and nods.

"Yes. I am glad you're happy. But I think we should call your parents, anyway. Just so they know that you said yes." She leans in and kisses him, and replies.

"Like there was any doubt." He shrugged, and turned serious.

"You could have said no. It's really soon, I know, but Atlanta made me realize how truly right this is. I can't wait to introduce you as Mrs. Reid." She nods, thoughtfully.

"Me, neither. I wonder what it will be like, being married." He shrugs.

"Blissful." She nods again, and kisses his cheek before standing as the conductor announces their stop.

They hurry to their building, and up to their apartment. Once inside, they decide to hold off on calling their families and friends to make love. Then they make their phone calls, ending with JJ and Will, and both Fee and Spencer thank JJ profusely.

As they fell asleep that night, after answering the phone to share their news with friends whose message machines they'd gotten, they kissed each other and shared a smile.

"Good night, Fee. I love you."

"I love you, too, Spencer. Sleep well, my dear."

End of Part 4


	5. Chapter 5

Spencer and the Redhead, Part 5-Viva Las Vegas

Spencer and Fee are sitting in the terminal area of Dulles airport, awaiting their flight from DC to Las Vegas. She is barking into her cell, on an emergency call from work; apparently, someone has tried to blow up a key piece of India's aeronautic supply chain, and she is trying to find someone who can translate the documents the Indian consulate sent over while they are away. He is holding on to her, reading, and chuckling to himself at her annoyance. After a few more tense moments, she seems to find someone satisfactory, and hangs up with a harried sigh.

He doesn't look up, but speaks to her.

"Did you work it out, honey?"

"Yeah." He didn't push the issue, because he could tell she was annoyed, but he noted that she settled back against him and pulled out the book she was reading, an anthology of modern poetry, and they sat in silence as they waited for their plane.

Several hours later, they have checked into their hotel, and are busy putting things away as they plan the weekend. Fiona had never been to Vegas, and so, she wanted to see some things, but he assured her that she wasn't missing much, but agreed to do the tourist bit with her.

"I just want to see the Eiffel tower at Paris, Paris, ok? Can you take me to where you grew up?" He shrugs.

"Maybe. I don't know if I am ready for that yet." She nods, seriously.

"Ok. I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I want this to be a nice getaway before the wedding madness starts."

He grins, but rolls his eyes. Ever since he'd proposed, the women in his office had either been complaining that they no longer had a shot, or making suggestions to him about the things they had done for their weddings. He had already heard enough wedding talk to keep him busy for a lifetime, and had been a little annoyed when Syd had packed Fee off for the weekend with a stack of bridal magazines. She hadn't glanced at them, but he figured it was only a matter of time.

"It's already starting." She smiles, sympathetically, and nods.

"I know. I'm sorry. But you're being so great, so I promise-outside of meeting your mom, no mentions of the words "wedding", "marriage", or "dress," Ok?" He grins again, and nods.

"I can agree to that." She stands and crosses to him, kissing him on the mouth, then crosses to the desk in the room. She plugged in their travel cell-phone charger, and plugged hers in. Instantly, her phone registered a message, and she sighed loudly and listened. It was work, specifically, her Mission Commander, and she needed to call him right away.

She sighed deeply, and dials work as he watches in interest.

"This is Murphy." She listens intently as her boss tells her that she picked the worst weekend in the world to request off, but since she already has the approval, he couldn't do much, but he expected to see her first thing Monday morning. She sighs as she hangs up and relays this info to Spencer.

"Well, I think I'm in trouble." He shakes his head, and reaches out for her.

"This new job seems like it's more trouble than it's worth." She nods as he pulls her to him.

"I know. But it's a great opportunity. I'm using my astrophysics degree." He nods, and replies.

"I know. Let's wait until after we buy the house to see if one of us can move on." They'd decided to look for a house in DC, as they both wanted children and saw DC as their true home.

"Ok." She smiles up at him, and kisses him before he releases her and speaks.

"We should get ready for dinner." She nods, and crosses to the closet, where she hung her nice outfit. They dress in silence, and she applies a little makeup as he turns on the news. They listen in quiet silence before Fiona turns to him.

"I'm ready." He stands and looks at her, a slow, wide smile crossing his face. His fiancée was downright sexy tonight, and he had a hard time controlling himself. She wore a tight purple leather dress, high heels, and no pantyhose. He could only imagine the lacy underwear that awaited him under the non-dress. She had fixed her hair so it fell in bouncy, defined curls, and wore chandelier earrings. He inhaled, and sighs.

"What is this?" She smiled slyly.

"You like?" He nods, and she reaches for him, and he kisses her neck passionately. She giggles and pushes him away.

"Later. We're late." He chuckles, and hands her purse to her as she shrugs into a sweater and heads for the door.

"Seriously, what's the dress about?" She turned to him as they caught the elevator to the atrium.

"I don't know. I just felt like dressing up. I'm glad you like it."

"I do. It's just-shocking. Are you planning to dress like this all the time?"

"No. Tomorrow I go back to plain Jane." He grins; he likes her like this-slinky and sexy, of course, but he loves his regular Fee more.

"That's OK by me. I love my plain Jane."

She grins a mega-watt smile and he leads her into the bar attached to the restaurant in the lobby of their hotel, and all eyes are on her. She ignores the looks and concentrates on her fiancé, and by the time they are finished with their meal, he is ready to take her upstairs and make passionate love to her all night long, which was her plan, for she loved him dearly, but was still shy about making the first move in bed. They fall asleep, wrapped up in each other, and sleep the deep sleep of true, secure lovers.

His alarm rings the next morning, and as Fee opens her eyes, she sees Spencer already dressed and pacing around the room. He was anxious to see his mother, and give her his happy news, but he was unsure as to how she would react. He hoped she would be having a good day, and would be able to share their joy, but he wasn't certain. He grins at Fee; the sexy pretenses of the previous evening were gone, and her hair was back in wild curls and her face was puffy from the bottle of wine she'd consumed on her own. He had worried about her momentarily, but chalked it up to nerves, and had indulged her fantasies in bed that night. He speaks.

"Are you feeling OK? You were a wild woman last night."

"I'm OK, yeah. I can't believe you let me drink that much." He shakes his head.

"Sweetie, there was no stopping you." She grins and eyes the dress she'd worn, now in a heap by the side of the bed, where'd he tossed it in the heat of the moment. She sits up gingerly, and realizes that she IS ok, and had been spared the embarrassment of a hangover before meeting his mother.

"I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry. It won't happen again." He shakes his head, amused by her apology.

"It's fine, honey. Sometimes we all need to cut loose." She grins, and stands up, letting the covers reveal her body. He notices that she has lost some weight, and frowns.

"Sweetie, have you been eating at work?" She yawns, and shakes her head.

"No, I'm too busy lately. At the CIA, Mel or JJ would make me eat. Now, there's no one to stop me from obsessing long enough to eat." He sighs, and speaks.

"You cannot not eat. I know you're busy, but so am I. You have to keep healthy." She grimaces as she pulls on her clothes. She pulls up the zip on her jeans, and adjusts her flannel shirt over the t-shirt she wore under it.

"I know. I'm sorry. I promise to make an effort, but if my CO gives me an order that my work has to be completed, I might not be able to eat that day." He shakes his head yet again.

"Maybe you should consider a job where the hours are less taxing. I know you want this position to work, but if you lose too much weight when you're already so slim, it could be dangerous." She considers his words carefully, and inhales. On her exhale, she nods and speaks.

"I will consider what you are saying, and I will give it another month, OK?" He nods, satisfied, and he suggests ordering up breakfast. She smiles big, and orders the largest thing on the menu, and he rolls his eyes.

"Ok, sweetie. I get your point. Do you really want all that?"

"Yes. I'm starving. Now, tell me about this facility your mother is in. Is it quality?" He nods, and proceeds to tell her about the sanitarium he'd placed his mother in during college. Their food arrives, and as they settle at the desk to eat, she leans in and kisses him. He grins, and speaks to her.

"What was that for?"

"Because I love you, and I know you care about me, and my health, and my happiness." He smiles and nods.

"I do. I never want to force you into a decision, but this lunch thing has me a little annoyed, and I might have to insist."

"I know."

"I love you, Fee." She smiles, and eats her breakfast. He watches, again impressed by how much she does actually eat when she does eat, and some of his worries melt away. He finishes his own breakfast, and suggests that they head over to the hospital soon. She pulls on a pair of boots and he ties his sneakers before standing up and taking her in. She is truly back to her regular self, she even had forgone makeup, except chap-stick. He grins and they head for the elevator. They ride in relative silence in a cab to the sanitarium, and he escorts her inside, introducing her to his mother's main doctor, who met them at the lobby. Spencer had learned a long time ago to call ahead, and so the doctor had had a nurse prepare his mother for his visit.

"Dr. Wallace, this is Dr. Fiona Murphy, my fiancée. Is Mom ready for us?" He smiles, and nods to the young man.

"Congratulations. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Murphy." She nods.

"Likewise."

"Your mother is having a good day, I think. She is looking forward to seeing you."

"Great, thanks. I'll show us upstairs." The doctor nods, and turns to the nurses station behind him. Spencer takes Fiona's hand, and they make the trek to his mother's room. He knocks on her door.

"Spencer?"

"Yeah, Mom. It's me."

"Come in, dear." He grins at Fiona as he opens the door, and ushers her inside. He hugs his mother as she stares at the girl. He steps back, and takes Fiona's hand in his before speaking.

"Mom, this is Fiona Murphy. Fiona, this is my mother, Diana Reid." Fee smiles warmly as she shakes his mother's hand. Diana smiles at the woman before speaking to her son.

"Spence, who is this girl?"

"My fiancée. I'm going to marry her, Mom." He watches as his mother's visage changes momentarily, and he moves in front of Fee in case she turns. But her face turns back, and she smiles.

"Congratulations. I've always wanted a daughter." Fiona smiles, and they embrace before sitting down across from each other, his mother on her bed, and Fee on the bench across from it, where he usually slept when he visited. "Tell me all about you, dear. How did my boy woo you? You know, when he was a little boy, I used to tell him to always marry a nice girl." Fiona smiles, and tells Diana about their first date-how they were set up by a mutual friend and how he'd wooed her. She tells the woman about her father, and even about her mother. Spencer watches in awe; he was sure that Fiona wouldn't be comfortable, but quite the opposite seemed true; she seemed to be in her element. He smiles and takes her hand when Diana asks them about the proposal and the wedding.

"How did he do it? You know, his father asked me in a park, near our apartment." Fiona shakes her head.

"I haven't, um, met William yet." Her face clouded for a moment, but Fiona continues. "Anyway, Spence was really romantic. He took me to the same restaurant where we had our first date, and he proposed after dinner, and the whole restaurant heard, and they clapped, and it was…amazing." Spencer chuckles lightly, and kisses her hand as his mother, placated, leans into Fiona and looks at the ring.

"He did well."

"Yes, he did. Anyway, as for the wedding, we've only begun preliminary ideas. My step-mother has all these plans, but for now, I just want to enjoy my engagement, and Spencer." His mother chuckles, but just then a nurse stuck her head in the doorway.

"Lunch time, Mrs. Reid." Spencer suggests they have lunch together, in the cafeteria, and both women agree, and he leads them to the lunch room while the women chat away. His mother is telling Fee about him as a baby, and he tries to appear embarrassed.

"Mom. Fiona really doesn't need to hear any of this."

"Be quiet, Spence. Let us have our girl talk." He chuckles to himself, and falls silent as they settle in at a table. He offers to go for food, and they shoo him off, bewildered but happy that it's working out so well. He gathers some food; his mother prefers pasta while he chooses a sandwich for Fee. He selects an anemic-looking hamburger for himself, and grabs three waters before heading back to the table. He hears his mother telling Fee about his father, and the early days of their marriage, when things were going well. He feels sad for a moment, wishing he could share his happiness with both of his parents, but as he settles down into a chair next to Fee, she leans over and kisses him on the cheek.

"Thanks for getting lunch, honey. Your mom was telling me that you used to play chess on a team here in Vegas when you were a preschooler, and all the other kids called you "professor" because of your glasses. You never told me you wore coke-bottle glasses." He smiles, and raises his eyebrows at her.

"I blocked it, I think." She laughs and bites into her sandwich, and they talk some more. They finish their meal and head back to Diana's room as the conversation turns to his extended family.

"Well, my parents are both deceased, but William's mother is still alive, Spencer's grandmother Pearl." Fiona nods, and appears serious.

"I am sorry your parents are gone." Diana nods, and yawns.

"I'm sorry, dear. I'm afraid I'm getting a little sleepy; I don't usually get such a great surprise." Fiona nods, and turns to Spencer.

"Maybe we should head out, do our sightseeing, and come back before visiting hours end." He agrees, and they say their goodbyes and leave the hospital, after Spencer calls for a cab. They wait outside, and she speaks to him.

"Thank you for bringing me here. Your mother is wonderful, but I do realize that she is very ill. Is it still hard for you to visit her here?" He nods.

"Sometimes. She was having a good day today." Fiona nods.

"I could tell. How come you never speak of your father? I understand the issues you had when you were younger, and you thought he'd killed that man, but don't think that 10 years is enough time for him to be out of your life? What if we have children? Shouldn't they be allowed to know their grandparents?" He sighs, but considers.

"Maybe. It doesn't matter; I don't think he wants anything to do with me these days." She sighs as the cab pulls up, and she slides in next to him.

"People come to weddings and sometimes stuff is resolved." He snorts, and looks out the window before replying.

"Yeah, or they come, and they're unwelcome, and they say and do stupid things."

"You don't know that. You should at least try."

"Why is this so important to you?"

"Why is it not important to you? He's your father."

"You are fixating on this to avoid talking about your mother." She looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

"Maybe I am. But if I contact my mother, will you call your father?" He sets his jaw, but considers.

"Maybe."

"Fine."

"Fine." They fall silent as the cab driver hurries them uptown, and as Fee tosses some bills at him and they climb out in front of their hotel. It remains silent as they head back to their room. Suddenly, his face changes and he pulls her to him, feeling that she is still tense and annoyed.

"Fee. I'm sorry. I don't want to fight. Not now. It was a great day, and you're right. I WILL consider calling him." She relaxes, and nods.

"It was a great day. I will also consider contacting my mother, OK? I just think that a wedding is a happy time, and we should have as many people involved in it as possible, sharing our joy." He nods, and smiles.

"I know, sweetheart."

"You wanna check out the Jacuzzi tub with me?" He grins, and nods, following her into the bathroom. They clean each other's bodies and chat some more, and as they have sex, she has a great idea. When they finish, and climb out to towel off, she tells him about it.

"What if we saw your father tomorrow before we leave?" He shakes his head.

"He's an attorney, and likely has the day off. I don't know his personal numbers."

"So we look in the phone book. How many William Reid's could there be in Las Vegas proper?" He looks dubious, but sighs.

"Maybe. I will call his office, how about that?"

"That's good enough. We can take a trip to Philly to find my mother, if you like." He chuckles and finishes drying her off. He hands her a tub of body lotion, and watches as she smoothes the rich cream into her slim, pale body.

"I trust that you will contact her." Fiona nods.

"It's not about trust. I think it's about a united front." He nods, realizing that that was the issue; she wanted him to be her equal in things, and if she was going to open up old wounds by contacting her mother, as per her father's wishes, she felt he should do the same. So he vowed to himself to make an effort to contact the man.

"What if I called his office now, and maybe we'll, as you say, hit the bid, and he'll see us tonight?" She looks immediately concerned.

"Are you sure you're OK? I don't want you to feel pressured." He shakes his head.

"No, I agree with you. If you are going to extend yourself to find your mother, I should do the same." She smiles, and nods, and slips into some sweats and a tank top. He grins at her figure heading for the kitchenette area, and calls after her.

"Will you bring me a water, please, sweetie?" She nods, and he picks up the phone, inhales, and dials the only number he knows. He prays like mad that his father doesn't answer, and is instead surprised when it is answered by a woman.

"Hello, William Reid's office, this is Stacey, how can I help you?" Fiona appears at his side, clutching two bottles of water, and looking at him. He mouths to her.

"His secretary."

"Leave a message." He grimaces, but speaks into the phone.

"Yes. Are you his secretary?"

"I'm the paralegal. Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I need to leave a message for Mr. Reid. It's fairly urgent. My name is Spencer, and I just-I have something he needs to hear."

"Ok. Spencer. Do you have a last name?"

"He knows who I am. I am staying at the Marriott on Tropicana, Ste. 10. He can also reach me on my cell; I believe he has the number. Like I said, it's fairly urgent."

"Ok. He usually comes into work on Saturday afternoons; he has a big case coming up. If I see him, I'll let him know, but at least I'll send him an email."

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, mystery Spencer. Have a nice day."

"You, too. Bye." He hangs up, takes a drink from the bottle of water that Fee extends to him, and then sighs deeply.

"She's going to email him." Fiona smiles.

"Good. Ok. So it's fine if we don't go out; it's hot anyway. I'd rather stay in, finish my novel, maybe swim." He nods.

"I promise we can see the sights next time. We'll take a long weekend and come out."

"That would be lovely." Just then, Spencer's cell rings, and he checks it, sighing in relief. It is his mother's care home, and he answers it quickly.

"This is Spencer." The nurse at the other end of the line tells him that his mother isn't feeling well enough to have them return, and asks if they wouldn't mind trying again tomorrow. He agrees, and hangs up, and relays the info to Fee, who looks disappointed.

"It's ok, Fee. Sometimes it happens. She does great for awhile, and then crashes. You wore her out. She was happy, though. I haven't seen her that chatty in awhile." Fiona smiles.

"I'm glad. I hoped she would like me; that she would think I was good enough for you." He smiles, too, and embraces her.

"You're perfect for me. I brought Debussy; should we have a listen, and read?" She smiles and nods again, and flops onto the bed, while he chuckles and sets up his iPod and speaker dock. They listen, quietly entwined in each other's arms, for an hour before the room phone rings.

He sighs as he answers the phone, expecting it to be his father. Instead, it is Melanie, calling for Fee. He hands her the phone, and she looks at him, surprised.

"This is Dr. Murphy." He watches her face intently; she switches from surprise to annoyance to fear to resignation, and he motions for her to tell him what is going on. She tells Melanie to hold on, and relays to him some information.

"The CIA is bringing me in as a consultant on a major case. In a few weeks. Should I take it? Apparently, they've worked it out with my boss." He nods.

"I vote for yes, but it's really up to you." She grinned, and spoke into the phone.

"Mel? I'll do it." He smiles as she finishes her conversation, and they resume their reading. They are quiet for another hour, and then agree to go to bed, aware of an unspoken realization that his father wasn't going to call. As Fee dressed for bed, he thinks about his father's betrayal, and his fiancée's insistence that he contact his father. He climbs into bed next to her, and pulls her close as she closes her eyes. She smiles, and he kisses her eyelids.

"Good night, Fiona."

"Good night, Spencer." He chuckles, and lays his head on the pillows, hoping that he can fall asleep tonight.

0800 Hours

Bennington Sanitarium

Las Vegas, NV

Spencer and Fiona arrived to visit his mother, and are ushered upstairs to the ward where her room was. He pulls Fee down the hall to his mother's room, and is surprised and upset to find her door open, and a familiar voice trilling out. He pulls Fiona back from entering the room, and speaks to her.

"What is my father doing here?" Fiona shrugs, her eyes wide.

"I don't know, sweetie. Why don't you go ask him." He sighs, and she pulls him to her, kissing his head. "Don't worry, I am here. Do you want me to hold your hand?" He nods, and she smiles, and takes his hand in hers as he knocks on the door before announcing them.

"Mom? It's Spencer." He can see her smile, but his father didn't see him. She motions him in, and he enters, trying to appear surprised to see his father.

"Dad. What the hell are you doing here?" He feels Fiona squeeze his hand, and he squeezes back. His father looks up at him, and then at Fiona, and smiles lightly.

"I am visiting your mother."

"Why?"

"Because she is still the mother of my only child, and when things are happening with you, we need to discuss it. I understand you're to be married." Spencer set his jaw as Fiona smiles, and steps forward, still holding on to his hand.

"He is. To me. I am Fiona Murphy. It's nice to finally meet you." Spencer watches as she shakes his father's hand and then steps back quietly. He speaks again.

"Did you get my message?"

"Yes. I am sorry I didn't call you first; that was my next task." Spencer rolls his eyes as Fiona shakes her head at him lightly. He sighs deeply, but speaks again.

"Fine. This is Fiona Murphy. Mom, do you remember meeting Fiona yesterday?" Diana nods, and smiles.

"Yes, hello again, my dear. How are you today? Did you two get to see the things you wanted to?" Fiona shakes her head.

"No, we decided to stay in last night after all. I am well, thanks. It's fantastic to see you feeling well again."

"I have some happiness now." Fiona nods, and chuckles lightly.

"I suppose so." Spencer stares hard at his father while the women chat, and as Fee finishes her conversation with his mother, she turns to his father.

"Anyway, as Spencer so rudely pointed out, I am Fiona Murphy. Please, call me Fee."

"It's nice to meet you, Fee."

"I apologize for Spencer's sudden rudeness. It's quite unlike him, you know."

"I know, but I think I have realized that it's not entirely misplaced. Please let me know if you need or want anything, ever. If you'll excuse me, I should be going." Fiona nods, and pokes Spencer, who is staring straight ahead at the wall. Spencer nods.

"Thank you. Can you see yourself out?" Fiona sighs as he nods, and leaves the room. It is silent for another minute, as Fee watches him slowly calm himself.

"Sweetheart, Mom? We don't have a lot of time today; I'm sorry. I just wanted to say goodbye, and that we'll visit again soon." Diana, who had been silent after her and Fee's talk, just nodded.

"Ok. Have a safe trip home, OK?" Spencer nods, having cooled off, and bends to kiss his mother goodbye. Fiona stands, and embraces the woman.

"It was nice to meet you. We'll be in touch." Diana nods and gazes sadly at them as they leave. Once they are back inside the cab he'd flagged down, he spoke to her.

"I am sorry that I was short with William. I didn't want you to have to see that." Fiona nods, and speaks in a low tone to him.

"I know. I understand. I am glad you told him, though. At least he knows." Spencer nods, and they are silent as they make their way to the airport and through baggage check. Once they head for security and their terminal, though, he seems to have thawed, because he speaks to her again.

"Honey, shall I buy us some lunch before we head home?" Fiona grins and nods.

"Sure. How about we check out that gyros place we saw the other day?" He nods, and they have lunch before catching their flight. He chuckles when Fiona falls asleep and sleeps the entire way home.

End of Chap. 5


	6. Chapter 6

The Doctor and the Redhead, Part 6- Hostage

0800 Hours

FBI HQ

Quantico, VA

It was just a few weeks until their wedding, and Spencer and Fee were making some big changes. They'd bought a house together in the same neighborhood as JJ and Will, began to combine their finances, and Fee had gone back to the CIA. The phone call from Melanie on their Vegas weekend had been a call to have her come consult on a case, and they'd wooed her back by extending her contract time, pay, and guaranteeing her set working hours, so she worked everyday from 8 am to 4 pm, and arrived home by five.

Spencer, engrossed in trying to write an algorithm to decide where to sit people on a seating chart for the reception, startled to reality when Hutch spoke loudly.

"People, get to the meeting room. We're needed in Idaho." He grimaced, but followed the others into the meeting room, where JJ was waiting to present the case. He settled in to listen as she told them about a series of sexual assaults on young girls. It was a few minutes later that he excused himself to use the restroom.

Inside the restroom, he was washing his hands when an unknown man accosted him, and pushed him against the wall.

"Are you Spencer Reid?"

"Yes." Spencer moved for his firearm, and the man hit him, and Spencer went down. The man kicked him, and Spencer cried out. Just then, Morgan entered the bathroom, saw the scene in front of him, and turned and rushed back down the hall, arriving at Hotch's office, pulling Rossi with him.

"Spencer is being attacked in the men's room." Rossi looks surprised as Hotch stands up.

"What do you mean?"

"Some unsub is beating him up is what I mean. I'm going in." Hotch shakes his head.

"No. I'll call security." Derek shakes his head.

"By the time they get up here, no telling what will happen. I have my piece; I'll be fine." He doesn't wait for a reply, and instead flies back down the hallway to the bathroom and his friend. When he arrives, he finds Spencer sitting against the wall, the unsub pacing, and pointing a gun at Spencer. He speaks.

"What the hell is going on in here?" The unsub looks Morgan over and responds.

"Dr. Reid is my hostage. His wife-she needs to pay for her sins." He raised an eyebrow, and replies.

"Spencer, what is he talking about?" The Unsub replies before Spencer can.

"Just get Fiona here. I know she's with the CIA; she's just up the street, and can be here soon. If she's not here in twenty minutes, I will shoot Dr. Reid, and then you, and then her." Derek glances at Spencer, who is looking at him, pleading with his eyes. Derek steps back and nods.

"I will make a call." He pulls his cell phone from his pocket, and dials JJ.

"Tell Hotch I am still with the unsub in the bathroom. Spencer is here, too. Please call Dr. Murphy and have her here as fast as she can be here. The suspect would like to speak with her."

"I am not a suspect. My name is Jim Carlson." Derek relays this information to JJ before hanging up. He turns to Spencer, who looks very upset, and speaks.

"You were the professor."

The unsub's face changed to a very angry expression, and he went for Spencer as Morgan knocked him to the ground. The unsub got in a punch before Morgan subdued him, and threw him against the wall. As Morgan pulls him against the wall next to Reid, he speaks to his friend.

"What do you mean, Reid?"

"He slept with Fee when she was in college." Morgan appeared confused, but Spencer continues. "He technically raped her; it started when she was 16." Derek nods in realization as the unsub splutters.

"I did not. We were in love. Fiona was very mature for her age, and wanted a man, any man, really, to pay attention to her. And she was so brilliant. I was the only one who could understand, who could nurture and improve the brilliance." Spencer snorts.

"If only you knew how much it damaged her."

"I never meant to hurt her. When the other girl came forward, and convinced Fiona to make a statement to the police, well, it was the worst betrayal ever." Morgan's phone rings then. It is JJ, telling him that Fiona has arrived.

"Fiona is here." Spencer looks worried.

"You can't let her in here." The professor reaches out and decks Spencer again, as Morgan raises his weapon.

"She WILL come in here. She needs to fix it." Morgan nods.

"Only if you never, ever touch Dr. Reid again."

"I promise." Morgan dials JJ again, and tells her to send Fee to the men's bathroom. A few moments later, a tentative knock comes at the door, and the professor points his gun to Spencer.

"Tell her to come in. But tell her nothing else."

"Sweetheart, come in. It's fine; we're all decent." The door flies open, and her voice enters before she does.

"Spence? Oh, my God, JJ said you were being held hostage-" she stops speaking as she takes in the scene in front of her. "Jim. I thought you were still in prison."

"I escaped."

Fiona stands still, dumbfounded, and looks from her fiancé to Morgan to her former professor.

"Shit. Look, let Spencer go, and Morgan, too. I will do whatever it is you want, but please, don't hurt Spencer. I love him."

"I loved you, Fiona."

"You took advantage of the fact that I was sixteen and didn't know better."

"I loved you. And you loved me. Or so you said."

"I didn't know what love was then." He looks pained, but nods.

"He can go," Jim says, as he points to Morgan, "But you two stay." She nods, and gestures for Morgan to leave, but Derek tries to protest. Fee interrupts.

"Derek, if you don't leave now, and ask JJ to phone and check on my father, I will shoot you myself. Do you understand?" He nods, and quickly leaves the room as she sinks to the floor next to Spencer, and takes his hand.

"I'm sorry, honey."

"It's fine, sweetie. You didn't know." She nods.

"Are you OK?"

"I will be." She nods as she turns to her former professor.

"Ok, Jim. I'm here. What the hell is this about?"

"You. You will come with me back to New Haven, and recant your story to the police."

"I will not."

"You have to. You have to realize by now that you ruined everything. My career, my marriage-"

"All the other girls you were sleeping with?"

"Is that why you ratted me out?"

"No. I told the police my story because what you did to me was wrong. I was sixteen, OK?" He sighs, and the door opens as Hotch enters, weapon drawn, dressed in a bullet-proof vest. He interrupts their exchange.

"I am Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner. I am asking you to drop your weapon and release the agents. If you do not, I will be forced to fire." The man considers, and answers Hotch.

"I will let Dr. Reid go. But Fiona stays here." Spencer shakes his head.

"If Fee doesn't go, I don't go." Hotch shakes his head, too.

"Spencer, this is not the time for heroics. I will make sure Dr. Murphy is safe. Go now. That is an order."

Spencer hands his gun to Fiona and stands to leave. Hotch stops him.

"Take your firearm. I swear to you, she will be safe."

He nods, and Fee hands him the gun and he quickly leaves the room. Hotch turns back to the woman, and the unsub, who now has her in a chokehold, gun to her head. He speaks.

"What is your name, sir?"

"Jim Carlson."

"Ok, Mr. Carlson. What is going on here?"

"I need to take Fiona to New Haven. She has to tell them that she was wrong. That it was love." Hotch looks at her, and she shakes her head lightly, and mouths to him.

"I'll explain later." He nods, and she speaks.

"Look, Jim. Please. You have to let me go. I'm getting married soon; I am in love. I just-I want to marry my FBI agent and have babies. Please, please let me go." He looks at her, his head cocked.

"Did you love me?"

"Maybe. In the way that 16 year old girls love anyone. But not like I love Spencer." He looks sadly at her, and raises the gun and shoots himself in the head as Fiona cries. Spencer bursts through the door as Hotch pulls her to him. He passes her off to Spencer, and she falls to the floor, crying. Hotch declares the unsub's death, and sits down next to Fee and Spencer, who is lying on the floor next to her. It is silent for several moments, until he speaks.

"It's over, Fiona. You're OK." She shakes her head.

"No. I'm not. I will be, but not yet." He nods.

"What was this about?"

"He was one of my professors, and we had a sexual relationship when I was sixteen. He didn't force me, but I didn't know better. He was my first. Anyway, we ended things a year later; I didn't know that he was married, but his wife showed up when we were, um, being intimate and walked in on us, and of course, he picked her. Anyway, a little while later, I was speaking to my psychologist and I guess she referred me to this other student, Jessica Beaumont. Anyway, I guess he did the same thing with her, but she was older, and knew that he was a predator, and filed charges. I told the police what I knew, and testified at his trial. Apparently, he escaped, and came back to finish business." Hotch nods again.

"I am sorry."

"Me, too." She reaches for Spencer, who takes her hand. "Spence? Are you hurt? Let me take a look at you." They sit up, and she touches his wounds lightly.

"I don't think anything is broken, but can we go to the ER just in case? I'd feel better." He nods, and Hotch agrees.

"Yes. Take the rest of the day off, and I will call you with the details of the case." They agree, and leave as Hotch and Derek clean up and call in the local coroner. JJ drives the two to the ER, as Fiona is still shaken, and she sits in the back with Spencer, and they talk.

"Thanks, JJ, for calling my dad and making sure he was OK. I appreciate it."

"No problem. Did he really assault you?"

"Yeah, basically. I was 16. I mean, he didn't, like, hold a gun to my head, but he did say that I would fail if I didn't sleep with him. And sometimes he would hit me during sex-he said it made it better for him-he liked it rough. It was, well, terrible." JJ nods quietly, as Spencer reaches out and touches Fiona's face.

"I can't believe he would hurt a child." She smiles lightly.

"It was a long time ago."

"Still, I can sometimes see it. When we're being intimate, I can see you tense if I move my hands too quickly." Fee sighed.

"I know. I'm sorry. The police suggested that counseling would help, but I don't think it did, really." He considers.

"How long did you go?"

"A full year. And then I couldn't stay on Daddy's insurance anymore, so I had to stop going." Spencer nods as they pull up to the urgent care department, and JJ escorts them inside.

"I want you to go again. Me, too. I think it might help us both." She nods.

"Ok. I think you're right." JJ interrupts.

"I told the receiving nurse what is going on. I can stay if you like, or I can come back later. I don't think you should drive today, Fee." She nods.

"Go back to work. I'll call you when they've finished with Spence." JJ nods and exit's the building, and Spencer turns back to Fee.

"I still love you, you know."

"I love you, too. Just promise me you'll use the buddy system the next time you have to pee, OK?" He grins.

"I promise." A nurse came and took Spencer's vitals, and then turned to Fee, who protested.

"I'm fine."

"Agent Jareau suggested that you have suffered a bit of shock. If your vitals are OK, I will leave you alone." Fee sighs, but lets the nurse take her pulse, temperature, and blood pressure.

"I think you'll be OK, Dr. Murphy. Agent Reid, the doctor will see you soon." They nod, and settle in to wait. Spencer speaks to her.

"So, you've told me the basic story, but how did you happen to wind up alone with the professor, in his house?"

"He offered to tutor me. I wasn't behind, but was afraid I would be, because I was younger. It hadn't occurred to me yet that I was smarter, but I think he sensed that. At first, it was just dinner a few nights a week, and a study session. Then, he'd get a little friendlier, chatting me up before we studied, or allowing me a glass of wine. Then it progressed to him touching me, innocently at first, but then more and more as time went on. Finally, he suggested that we have sex, and at first, I rebuffed him by laughing it off, pretending it was a joke. But he was serious, and he got a little annoyed, saying that I had led him on, and that I was pretty and smart, and that if I slept with him, he would make sure I was recognized for my intelligence. He told me everything I needed to hear, Spence." Spencer shakes his head.

"Still, you were a child. It makes it wrong."

"I know. But let's forget it, OK?" He shakes his head again.

"Not until I am sure you're OK." She smiles.

"I'm OK. I promise. We'll do the counseling, and that will help, I'm sure. But physically, I am great." He nods, satisfied.

"Ok. I finished the algorithm, by the way." She grins big.

"Only you would write an algorithm to decide where to seat people at our wedding." He grimaces, and playfully swats at her, making her giggle.

"You will be glad I did when it runs smoothly, my dear." She nods.

"You're probably right." Just then, they are called into the exam room, and a myriad of interns look him over before a well-dressed, tall man enters the room and gathers the interns outside. They all return a few minutes later, and the tall man speaks.

"I am Dr. Connolly. You must be Spencer." Spencer nods, and indicates Fiona.

"This is my fiancée, Fiona Murphy." Fee smiles.

"Nice to meet you. I understand you've both had a big trauma today, but Ms. Murphy seems fine. You, Dr. Reid, on the other hand, have a concussion and will need some stitches. I think you'll be fine to return to work tomorrow, but I am going to give you some pain pills, OK?" Spencer nods, and the Dr. continues. "I understand that you do not wish to receive narcotic pain meds, which is fine. I am going to give you some prescription strength NSAIDs, Ibuprofen, which will fight any swelling and the pain, OK? You can fill it here or we can call it into a pharmacy of your choice." Spencer nods again.

"Send it to Hal's Drug and Health, on Evergreen and Georgetown." The doctor nods, and scribbles some things on a notepad, and speaks again.

"Great. I am going to have Dr. Lee here," he indicates a petite Asian woman, "stitch you up, double check your vitals, and we'll have you out of here, OK?" Spencer agrees, and all the interns and the doctor leave, leaving Dr. Lee and Spencer and Fiona alone. Dr. Lee smiles at the two.

"I am going to get some supplies, and I'll be back." They nod as the woman leaves, and Fiona leans in and kisses the small wound on his face gingerly.

"I'm sorry that this happened to you because of me." He shook his head lightly.

"You did nothing wrong, Fiona." She sighs.

"I know. But I am still sorry. Hey, they didn't check your ribs or anything; he kicked you, right?" Spencer nods.

"Yeah, but it doesn't hurt. Not even when I breathe."

"Cough for me." He coughed a little, and grimaced. "I'm having Dr. Lee check you out."

"Fee, no. I'm fine."

"As your fiancée and the woman you love, I really have to insist. I will call Hotch and have him order you, and you know I will." He nods.

"I know." Just then, Dr. Lee returns, and as she sewing Spencer up, Fiona speaks to her.

"Can you double-check his torso? He was injured there, and while it doesn't hurt to breathe, I had him cough for me, and he said that it hurt." Dr. Lee nods, and smiles lightly.

"You two are planning to get married soon?"

"Three weeks."

"I can tell; with the newlyweds and soon-to-be weds, the wife always does the talking, and the husband sits here, bewildered." The three people laugh, and Dr. Lee continues. "It's no problem, Dr. Reid, we can check you out. I will do a manual exam, and decide if we need x-rays." He nods, and she finishes stitching his wounds and applying bandages where they are needed.

"Ok, Dr. Reid. Lie back." He nods, but speaks to her.

"Can Fiona stay?"

"Of course." The doctor proceeds with her physical exam, mostly touching and probing the areas around Spencer's stomach and rib cage.

"There's some swelling, but not enough to indicate breakage. We can do an x-ray, but I am fairly confident that you just have internal bruising, which, while painful sometimes, will heal on it's own, but that could take anywhere from 6 weeks to several months."

"Ok. Can we skip the x-ray? I would just rather go home."

"I understand. I think that skipping an x-ray is OK in this instance; besides, your fiancée seems like the type to bring you back if you're hurting more or something else goes wrong."

"Oh, most definitely. Thank you, Dr. Lee."

"Of course. I will leave you to get dressed, review some things with Dr. Connolly, and then there's a few forms you will need to sign, and you can head home." Spencer nods as the woman leaves. Fiona hands him his pants, and he slips them on quickly.

"I need a shower." She nods.

"I know. I can't believe I spent three hours of my life in a men's bathroom." He laughs. "I feel germy."

"Hey, we're not all messy."

"I know." He pulls his shirt on, and buttons up quickly, and tucks it into his pants before fastening them closed. He reaches out for her, and she slides into his embrace. They stand, quietly, hugging each other, until she whispers to him.

"I love you, Spencer."

"I love you, too, sweetheart." He kisses her head as a knock comes at the door.

"Come in." He releases Fiona as the doctor enters the room, clipboard in hand. He settles into a chair next to Fiona, and takes her hand.

"Ok, Spencer. So, to review with you: You have a concussion that required six stitches, as well as some superficial cuts about the face and hands. You also show signs of internal bruising in the lower rib cage area. We have prescribed you 1000 mgs of Ibuprofen to be taken as needed for pain and swelling. It might be a good idea to ice your stomach a little tonight. I will clear you to return to work tomorrow, but no throwing bad guys against walls for a few weeks, OK? Avoid any vigorous exercise for a week or two, as well. Light exercise is fine, though, including sexual intercourse. Do you have any questions?"

"Just one. My unit may have to fly to Idaho for a case. Is that OK?"

"Of course, but like I said, nothing too vigorous. I can write a quick note for your employer, if necessary."

"Please. Thank you; I find your report satisfactory."

"Great. Ok, please review and sign these forms, and I'll be right back with the letter." He nods, and takes the clipboard he extends as Fiona collapses into giggles.

"What is the matter with you?"

"Nothing. Just when she mentioned the fact that we can still have sex, you blushed like a tomato." He grins.

"It's just slightly awkward, still. I mean, that people know that we're doing it regularly."

"I suppose. I think I will go call JJ, will you be OK alone for a few minutes?"

"Sweetheart, I am 29 years old, and an FBI agent packing heat. I think I will be fine."

"Uh, huh. Just like you were fine this morning?"

"Go call JJ." He grins at her as she shakes her head at him, and leaves the room. She returns a few minutes later to find him waiting for her.

"We are free to go, my dear."

"Great. JJ is on her way, and Daddy is fine. I was worried that Jim had gotten to him, too, because he was with me at the courthouse when I testified. Daddy is worried, but I told him we were at the ER and we're fine. I want you to go home and nap for a bit, OK?"

He nods, and mock-salutes her.

"Wow, someone is bossy today." She grins at him, and they leave the building to head outside and wait for JJ.

"I just want to take care of you, that's all."

"I know. I like it. It makes you seem all wifely and stuff." He kisses her as JJ pulls up, and they climb in and head for home.

End of Chapter 6.


	7. Chapter 7

The Doctor and the Redhead, Part 7- Mommy Dearest

It is now one week until the wedding, and Spencer and Fee have taken a quick weekend to drive to Philly to see Fiona's mother. They are sitting now, outside of the apartment building where her mother lives, working up the nerve to go up.

"I-I don't know if I can do this."

"You're going to be fine. I am here, sweetheart." He takes her hand in his, and squeezes it. "No matter what happens, next weekend, you and I will be married, and then we'll be our own family." She nods.

"I know. Thank you." He nods, and drops her hand to climb out of the car and let her out. He watches her smooth her outfit before they head into the building. He smiles; she is clad in an outfit that is what he calls "Neo Fee." She is wearing a well-fitting green sweater, and boot cut black jeans. Her hair had been brushed into soft waves, and she wore some mascara and lip gloss. On her feet are rain boots, as it has been rainy on the East Coast, unusual for the mid June season. She opted for her glasses today, and she wipes them on her shirt. She runs her hands through her hair, and smiles at him.

"If it rains on my wedding day, I swear I will kill someone. Let's go." He shakes his head, and locks the car up before following her into the building and into the elevator. As they arrive on the third floor, she inhales and exhales sharply. They head down the hallway to their right, and arrive at 317, and Fiona knocks. It is answered by a teenaged girl a little younger than Liam, who smiles. Fiona notices that the girl is a brunette, and a little heavyset, but wears glasses.

"Can I help you?" Spencer touches Fee's arm lightly, and she speaks, her tone uneven.

"Yes, I am Fiona Murphy, and uh, this is Spencer Reid. Is Maureen home?" The girl eyes her suspiciously, and turns away, yelling.

"Mom? Dad? There's some woman here for you." Fiona narrows her eyes, and looks to Spencer, who shrugs. A moment later, a tall, redheaded woman appears in front of them. Spencer realizes that Fiona looks very much like her, and he smiles as Fiona's eyes flicker over the woman, and then turns stormy, her blue eyes flashing. He takes her arm in his as Fiona speaks.

"Who is that girl, mother?" The woman's mouth drops open, and she motions them in as a shorter, balding man appears next to the woman. Fee and Spencer walk into what appears to be a living room, and stand near the doorway. Spencer is on alert, ready to pull her out if he has to, but tries to keep his visage calm. It is a moment before anyone speaks.

"Fiona? How did you find me?" Spencer watches as Fee's eyes flash again, but she speaks.

"I work for the CIA, mother. It is my job to track people down." The woman nods once, and seems to recover lightly, because she motions to the couch.

"Please, sit down. This is a surprise. What brings you to Philly?" Fiona settles rigidly onto the edge of a couch as Spencer sits next to her. He hears her breathe again, and he speaks.

"Hi. I'm Spencer. Fiona and I are getting married." Fiona nods, and her mother, who has sat down in an armchair, gasps and smiles.

"Well, congratulations. But why didn't you just call me?"

"I wanted to tell you to your face. I am your daughter, and I was hoping that you could share some of our joy, but maybe not."

"What has Dec told you about me?"

"Nothing. Not much. I remember a lot on my own, mother. I was eight." The woman nods.

"Yes. It was such a tumultuous time for you. You had just been bumped up a few grades, and I didn't know how to deal with you. You were brighter than the other kids. I just-it got so hard. And your father wanted to put you in a special school, but I thought that public school was the best place for you, so you could get socialized. But all you wanted to do is read and study. You weren't interested in clothes, or music, or TV. I just-I wanted a daughter that I could take shopping with me, you know?"

"You left because I was a tomboy? That doesn't make sense."

"I left because it was so overwhelming, finding enough information to keep you entertained. That was before the Internet was readily accessible, and your father was working all the time. I never saw him, and when I did, all we did was fight about you." The man next to her speaks.

"It wasn't about you, dear. Do you remember me?" Fiona nods.

"Yes. You were the guy who did our lawn." The man nods.

"Right. Ben Morris." He held out his hand to shake hers, but she shook her head, and he dropped it. Spencer clicked his tongue lightly at her, but she frowned at him.

"Well, so that girl who answered the door. Who is that?"

"Nicole. My daughter. I guess she would be your sister." Fiona nods.

"Great. So you have this happy new life. I assume that Nicole is not a genius, and likes girly things." Her mother makes a face.

"Look, I didn't invite you to my home, so I would appreciate it if you were more polite. I know that Dec raised you better than this."

"Don't talk about how well Daddy raised me. I did most of own raising, besides."

"I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry about that. How is your father?"

"Happy. He's remarried, and they have a son, Liam, who is a good kid. He's in college now." The woman nods.

"I knew he'd be OK."

"Well, I'm not."

"I'm sorry, Fiona. I really, truly am sorry. Can we please talk about your life now? You're getting married, and I don't even know this boy."

"Daddy does. He's hardly a boy, mother. This is Spencer. Dr. Spencer Reid. He works for the FBI. I would prefer if you didn't speak to him." Spencer clears his throat.

"Sweetheart." Fiona shrugs.

"Fine, you can speak to him if you agree to leave your bullshit out of it."

"Honey, that's enough. I apologize for Fee's behavior; she's not usually rude like this, and certainly not combatative." The woman nods.

"No, it's alright. I think it's earned. I didn't realize that leaving would hurt you so much, my dear. I thought I was helping you. And your father. He knew how to talk to you, how to comfort and soothe you, and he understood you." Fiona nods, softening a little.

"Well, it hurt so much. I spent a lot of years thinking that it was my fault; that if I hadn't shown you all how smart I was, you would still be there. I desperately wanted a mother, needed one, actually. Syd-that's Daddy's wife-is great, but he didn't marry her until I was ten." The woman nods again.

"I'm glad he's happy. And look at you, so grown up. You work for the CIA?"

"Yes. I translate documents and stuff like that. I got my PhD in Russian Literature."

"I knew you would. Would you like to meet Nicole? You have a younger brother, too, but he's at soccer practice. His name is Ben." Fiona nods.

"Sure. Have you told them?"

"Yes. Not everything, but they know that they have an older sister living in DC. They understand about divorce, and I think that they understand more than I think they do."

"That's likely. You don't have to be a genius to figure things out." The woman stands and heads down the hall as her husband excuses himself to make some coffee. While they are gone, Spencer leans in and kisses Fiona.

"You're doing fine, my love. We'll head home whenever you want, OK?" She nods, and they fall silent as Maureen reappears, trailed by the same girl that answered the door. The girl smiles shyly, and Fiona stands. Maureen speaks.

"Nikki, dear. This is Fiona. Remember I was telling you about my daughter in DC? That's her. Your sister." The girl nods, and gazes at Fiona, taking in her red curls and casual clothes. She steps forward, and embraces Fiona.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you finally." Fiona, taken aback, just nods, but the girl continues. "I heard you telling Mom that you're getting married. Can I see the ring?" Fee glances at Spencer, who nods encouragingly, and accepts a cup of coffee from the man called Ben. She extends her left hand to both the girl and her mother, who coo over it for a few moments. The girl sighs then, loudly, and plops onto the couch on the other side of Spencer, who motions for Fee to sit back down.

"It looks like Bella's. Do you know Twilight?"

"The vampire books? I saw the first movie with my girlfriend Melanie, but I haven't read them, no." The teenager nods.

"Well, their love is quite epic."

Fiona makes her eyes big, and looks to Spencer, who shrugs at her again. He didn't know anything about vampire books, other then the case they'd done a while back where the kids that were committing crimes believed they themselves were vampires.

"I see. So, how old are you?"

"Thirteen. How old are you?"

"Twenty-eight."

"Wow. You're kind of old to be getting married. Don't most people do that before 25?" Fee smiles lightly.

"I don't know. I suppose. But I didn't meet Spencer until last year. Before that, I hadn't really had a real boyfriend. Just guys I would date, but nothing serious." The girl nods.

"Yeah, mom and dad say I am too young to date, but I like this boy, his name is Peter." Fiona shrugs, unsure what her reply should be.

"Well, I think that your mom and dad probably have a good reason."

"Mom said that when you were thirteen, you were already in high school."

"Yes, that's right."

"How high is your IQ, anyway?"

"197. Spencer's is higher, though. Did you know that?" The girl shrugs and shakes her head.

"No. When is your wedding?"

"Next weekend."

"Can I come?"

"I suppose, if your parents allow it."

"I can take the train from Penn State, and it arrives at the airport. Not JFK, but the other one."

"Dulles."

"Yes. Ask them. Here is my phone number. You can call me, if you like. I guess we should probably get to know each other." The girl takes Fiona's card, and glances at it, then stuffs it into the pocket of the jeans she wore. She continues to speak.

"Cool. Are you two going to have kids?" Spencer chuckles.

"Yes, why?"

"Can I meet them? I like babies." He raises his eyebrows.

"Let's see how things go, OK?" Just then, Maureen and Ben stick their heads into the room from the kitchen.

"Nikki, Dad and I are going to get your brother from practice, and take him to get his hair cut. I am sorry, Fiona, dear. If I had known you were coming, I would've cleared our schedules."

"It's OK. It was a last minute trip." That was technically a lie; true, they'd decided the morning before to make the trek, but had been discussing it for a while. Fee had had Melanie track down her mother, and discovered that the woman lived in Philly, and had for awhile. They'd gotten up early that morning, and made the two-hour drive across the river and over the Turnpike. It was an easy drive, once you made it out of the DC area, and if you left early enough to avoid traffic.

"Well, then. It was lovely to see you again, Fiona. And fantastic to meet you, Stewart."

"It's Spencer, mother."

"I'm so sorry. Spencer. Good luck on your wedding, and best wishes for the future." Fiona nods as the woman exit's the house, pulling husband with her. "Nikki, you know the rules. Dad and I will see you later." Fiona rolls her eyes as they leave, and turns to Nikki.

"Well, I am glad I got to meet you, Nikki. I hope that maybe one day, we can be friends. Let me know about next weekend; the phone number on that card is my work cell, but I wrote our home phone number and my email on the back."

"Cool. Are you going to stay for dinner?"

"No, I don't think so. Spencer and I should get back home, anyway. There's a bunch of wedding stuff to finish up, anyway." The girl nods, looking a little sad, and Fiona smiles.

"I understand. Thanks for stopping by. I'll try to come next weekend, and maybe I can come visit someday."

"Maybe. Good luck, kid." Nikki nods, and Fiona stands.

"Spence and I will show ourselves out, OK? Don't answer the door or the phone, all right, and lock the door behind us."

"I know."

"I'm sorry. I used to watch my brother Liam, and we told him that. I forgot that you were thirteen, and already knew." The girl nods.

"It's OK. I'll see you later."

"Later." Fiona pulls Spencer into the hallway, and shuts the door. A few moments later, they hear the deadbolt close, and she smiles lightly.

"Well, at least she listens well." Fiona grins.

"Let's go home. I promised JJ I would go shopping with her tomorrow. She wants me to try on bridal lipstick colors or some such nonsense." He smiles.

"Ok, my dear." He leads her down the hallway, into the elevator, and to the car, all the while musing about the meeting. He was worried that it wouldn't go well, and while it had started off badly, he thought it ended on a high note. He hoped she'd be OK, learning about her new siblings, but figured that she'd be all right. He settled back in the passenger's seat, letting Fee drive.

"You ready?"

"Honey, I'm always ready for an adventure with you." She smiles, adjusts her seatbelt, and begins the trek home.

End of Part 7.


	8. Chapter 8

The Doctor and the Redhead, part 8-White Wedding

Spencer sits up in his bed, desperately wishing for Fiona's good-morning kiss. But she was at her father's home, had been there since last evening, as they were traditional, and he refused to see her before the wedding. He had spoken to her the night before, and she'd done her best to calm him from afar, but now, their new little house seemed vastly empty without her zaniness to perk the place up.

He didn't have much time to dwell, though, because the doorbell rang. He quickly pulls on some sweats and dashes downstairs. He opens the door to find Will on his front step, Morgan behind him, and Liam pulling up in his new car. He smiles at his friends and motions them in, for the men in the grooms' party, with the exception of Hotch, were all changing at his house. Fee and the girls were changing at JJ's, and her father's house had become the gathering point for all the out-of-town guests.

"Hey, man. How are you holding up?" It was Morgan, who was smiling.

"I think I might be sick."

"I don't think so, Smarty Pants. Get a shower, and let's do this." Spencer nodded, and excused himself.

"The coffee pot is starting, and Fee left pastries on the counter. Help yourselves." They nod, and shoo him off to the bathroom, where he closes himself in, and tries to remain calm. He couldn't believe that in three short hours, Fiona was going to be truly his.

Not far away, Fiona was eating some breakfast as JJ and Syd fussed over her. Her girlfriend Melanie was dancing around the room with Penelope and Henry, driving everyone crazy.

"Fee, hurry up and eat. We've got to get you dressed, us dressed, and someone needs to check on the boys." She makes a face, and replies.

"JJ, I am almost finished. Besides, the snap, crackle and pop is almost gone." JJ had fed her some of Henry's cereal, because Fiona insisted that if she did this on an empty stomach, she would most certainly faint. The others had told her she was crazy, but JJ had reluctantly handed her a bowl of cereal. Finally, Fiona finished, and stood to put the bowl in the sink. JJ snatched it away, and shooed her upstairs.

"Change in the guest room, OK? Syd brought your dress already." Fee nods, but hurries up the stairs and into the guest room, which was a mess of tulle and ribbons. Melanie followed close behind her, and Syd was behind Melanie. She reached for the bag that contained her dress, and sighed in happiness. She couldn't believe that in just a few short hours, she would be officially Mrs. Spencer Reid.

An hour later, Fiona sat rigidly in a chair that JJ had hauled up from the kitchen, letting JJ and Melanie work their magic on her unruly hair. Finally, JJ and Melanie had straightened the mess, and pulled up the top half into a simple bun and let the rest fall into cascades of rust-colored curls. They helped her attached the veiled headband, and stood back to admire their friend. Fee looked in the mirror behind the door, and felt herself tearing up.

"Thanks, girls. I love it. Mel, I love the makeup." Melanie had fixed her makeup, opting to play up Fiona's blue eyes, and keeping the rest simple.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it. We'll do lipstick last, so it won't fade. You want to be fresh when he kisses you." Fee rolled her eyes at her friend, but nods.

"Yes." She had put in her contact lenses, and smiled at her appearance. She stood then, and turned to her friends and step-mother. Her college friend, Jo, had joined the group, and she smiled at the sea of colors in front of her. Fiona hadn't wanted to stick to a color theme, but Spencer had insisted, to keep things streamlined, and so her friends were clad in various shades of blue.

"You ladies look lovely. Spencer and I have gifts, downstairs." Just then, Fiona's cell phone rang, and Mel picked it up.

"It's a 6-3-3 number."

"Oh, that's Nicole. I wonder if she was able to make it." Fee answers the phone, and the girl on the other end tells her that their mother allowed her to come, and she needed someone to pick her up at the train station. Fiona nods, and tells her she'd take care of it, and turns to JJ.

"Ok, I need someone to go get my sister." Syd smiles lightly; when her and Spencer had arrived home from their day trip to Philly, she'd gone straight to her dad's and told him about her discovery. He hadn't been too surprised, which Fiona had found odd until he'd confessed that Maureen had told him about her new life and family when he'd married Syd. It had annoyed her, but she had to admit that she was happier not knowing. JJ hung up with Morgan, who volunteered to pick up the girl and drop her at JJ's, before heading to the church to meet the others.

Back at home, Spencer was dressed in his finest, pacing the house. He was driving the others crazy, until Liam suggested that he call Fee, and see if she could calm him. He did, and as they spoke, the others could see him visably relax.

"Ok, sweetie. We do this in an hour, I think. I can't wait to see you."

"I know, love. I will see you in an hour. I'll be the girl in white." He grins.

"Ok. Morgan just left to get your sister. Is that OK?"

"Yes. I'm glad she came." He sighs.

"Good. I will miss you. Love you."

"Love you, too. Bye." He hung up, and turned to Liam.

"You were right, Liam. That helped a lot." Liam nods, as Fiona's dad enters the room.

"We need to get this holy show on the road, blokes. Who's riding with whom?" They separate into vehicles, and begin the trek to the church. Spencer is riding with Dec and Liam, and lets the boy drive.

Soon, they are all at the church, and Spence is immediately ensconced in an empty room with the wedding party, kept away from Fiona. He rolled his eyes, but greeted the men warmly before settling in to wait. It was only 45 minutes now, and he was super-nervous. He said this much to Morgan, who told him to breathe deeply. A knock at the door made him jump, but he opened it and came face-to-face with his father.

"Dad."

"Hello, Spencer. I know our last meeting didn't go well, but I wanted to make sure you had someone from your family here. I promise to sit in the back, and not say a word, but I wanted to wish you well first, and give you something." Spencer stepped back, and motioned him inside, seeing the surprised faces of his co-workers. He introduced his father to Fiona's dad.

"Dad, this is Declan Murphy, Fiona's father. Dec, this is my father, William Reid." They shook hands, and regarded each other before Dec spoke.

"Bloody savage to meet you finally. My Colleen told me wonderful things about ya when they got back from their trip." William raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, who's Colleen?" Spencer chuckled, and replied.

"Colleen is an endearment, it's like "lass" or something."

"Oh. I'm sorry; I studied in London for a bit in college before I met Spencer's mother, but I don't remember any of it." Dec shrugged and turned away, filing out of the room, saying he needed to see his daughter, and his co-workers excused themselves, leaving Spencer alone with his father.

"What are you doing here, Dad?" His father reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small, poorly wrapped box.

"I want you to have this. My father gave it to me when I married your mother, and well-since your Uncle David didn't have any children, I think it's best if you have it. You can open it whenever, but I hope you choose to pass it on as I have." Spencer nods and opens the package.

"You wrapped it yourself." William chuckled.

"The one thing your mother didn't teach me before she got sick." Spencer nods, and pulls out a pair of pearl cufflinks, and holds them in his hands.

"These are great. Thanks, Dad." The man nods, and Spencer replaces them in the box, and slides the box into his pocket. His father sighs, and turns to leave. Spencer's voice causes him to turn around.

"You don't have to sit in the back. Just tell Agent Hotchner that you will be seated with the wedding party, and he'll take care of it." William smiles, and nods.

"Thanks. But that's not necessary."

"I insist."

"Well, then, I'd be delighted. Please, Spencer. Don't ever let your family end up like mine. This Fiona seems like a great girl, and she deserves better than a repeat of me." Spencer nods, and William leaves the room. Spencer stands in bewildered silence for a moment before Declan interrupts.

"Spencer? It's almost time to line up. I have something, though, for you. For the man who will marry my daughter. It's tradition in Ireland when a couple marries to have a bell ring during the vows, so that every time they hear a chime, they will remember their promises. So, I have one for you. It is the same one my parents used at their wedding, and Fiona and her mother used it at ours." Spencer smiles as the man extends to him a small silver bell, and takes it in his hand.

"Thank you. I will treasure this always, until I can pass it on." Declan smiles, and pats his back.

"Good. Hurry up, son, you can't keep your filly a-waitin"

"No, I can't." He follows Fiona's father to some doors, and as Declan opens them, Spencer smiles. The church is well-decorated; Fee's stepmother did well. He takes his place near the stairs at the altar next to Derek and Liam, and sighs deeply. Morgan smiles, and leans in to talk to him.

"You OK?"

"Yeah. You look good."

"Not as good as you. I saw Fiona, man, put a pretty redhead in a wedding dress, and every man here wants to be you right now." Spencer grins.

"Really? I can't wait to see her."

"We'll be starting in a minute. How's your stomach?"

"A little jumpy, but I think I'll be Ok. JJ made sure I had some antacids."

"Thank God for JJ."

"Yeah." Just then, the music changes, and Spencer inhales sharply, and Morgan chuckles.

"Keep your calm. Just like a case. Keep cool, wait for the proof, then deliver the profile. Except in this case, the profile is the vows part."

"That's a very scientific plan there."

"Thanks. Look alive, it's show time." Spencer swallows, and breathes again. The wedding march begins, and he smiles as Henry toddles up the walk with the rings, and the daughter of one of Fee's coworkers follows behind, sprinkling flowers. The bridesmaids, led by JJ, make their procession, and they all smile at him, trying to calm him. Just then, the bridal march starts, and he closes his eyes for a moment, opening to see a vision in ivory taking a tentative step towards him. He smiles big, and looks her in the eye. She smiles back, and nods almost imperceptibly. He can tell that she is just as nervous as he is, and as her father walks with her slowly, he mouths to her.

"It's OK, sweetheart."

She smiles again as father and daughter approach the altar, and her father lifts her veil and kisses her, before stepping back as Spencer steps forward, taking Fiona's hands in his. Finally, she smiles at him again, and they turn together to the priest. He lets his mind wander, taking in her dress. She wore an ivory colored ball gown, satin top and tulle bottom, with laces up the back. It was sleeveless, and the color made her skin look pinker. His eyes traveled to her face; she wore just a little more makeup than usual, and a pretty pink lip gloss he was dying to kiss. Her hair was simple; half of it was up, and the half that was down was left to fall in pretty ringlets. Her jeweled headband held the veil, and the overall look made him smile again. Just then, he tuned back in to hear the preacher tell him to repeat the vows they'd written.

"I, Spencer Allen Reid, take you to be my wife, my constant friend, my partner and my love from this day forward. Before our families and our friends, I vow to love you and care for you for everyday of my life. I take you with all of your faults, and your strengths, as I offer you myself with all of my weaknesses and strengths. I will help you when you need help, and I will turn to you when I need help. And I choose you as the person with whom I will share my life."

Fee smiled big, and he saw her eyes mist over as she spoke. He realized that the girls he worked with were all crying, as were a lot of the females in the audience.

"I, Fiona Jane Murphy, take you to be my husband, my partner in life, and my true love. I promise to cherish our union, and love you more each day than I did the day before. I eagerly await the chance to grow with you, getting to know the man you will become, and growing together. I promise to trust you, and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, love you faithfully through the good times, and the bad, regardless of the obstacles we face together. So I give you my hand, my heart, and all of my love on this day and everyday for the rest of my life."

She exhaled sharply, and he smiled and touched her face. He took a breath, and retrieved her ring from Derek, who smiled at him, and turned back to her.

"I give this ring as my gift to you. Wear it and think of me, and know that I love you."

"I will wear it gladly. Whenever I look at it, I will remember this joyous day and the vows we have made."

He smiles back at her, praying that it is almost over so he could kiss her already. He stood quietly as she gave him his ring with the statement she wanted to say.

"This ring I give to you as a token of my love and devotion. I pledge to you all that I am, and all that I will be as your wife. With this ring, I gladly marry you, and join my life with yours."

He repeats the same response she'd given, and they turn together to face the preacher. He says his final prayer for the couple, and then makes the proclamation.

"It is my pleasure to announce you as husband and wife. You can kiss your bride." He grins, and pulls her close to him, and kisses her for a moment longer than usual before gathering her in a big hug. They remain in their embrace for a moment, and then turn to face their family and friends. They smile and the crowd claps wildly, and he pulls her down the hallway and to an empty corner of the chapel to talk to her for a moment.

"We need to give the procession a moment to line up, but I wanted to tell you that you look so beautiful."

"You're gorgeous, too. We did it, Spence. We got married." He grins, and nods, and leads her to the door where the procession will begin to the cars to head to the reception. As he walks with Fee down some stairs and through the people gathered on both sides, he greets people he recognizes with a big smile. A familiar face causes him to gasp, and Fiona to squeeze his hand. A moment later, they are being pelted with sunflower seeds, Fee's idea for the birds, and then he is enclosed with her in a white limousine. He turns to her, grinning, and speaks.

"When I gasped, it was Gideon."

"Your old boss?"

"Yes. I wonder who invited him."

"My money is on JJ." He nods.

"You're probably right. God, I can't believe we just got married."

"I know." He kisses her again, and she places a firm hand on his knee. "Calm down, sweetie. How's your tummy?"

"I'm OK. Did you see my dad?"

"Yeah, he actually came by to wish me well before he saw you." Spencer nods.

"That's nice." Just then, they pull away from the chapel to begin the trek to the reception hall, which is actually a cute little bistro that they'd rented for the evening. She turns to him.

"Help me take this veil off. I told Syd I didn't want one, but Daddy insisted, and since he doesn't insist on much, I agreed. But now it's in the way."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Hold these," she hands him her bouquet, which he hadn't noticed were the same flowers he'd given her on their third date-calla lilies-and he smiled as she continued, "and then we can fold it when I figure this out."

She works the pins securing the headband to her hair, and suddenly, it comes loose in her hands, and she pulls off the veil, tucking it into a bag near her feet, and then letting her hair down. He grins, and runs a hand through it, and takes her hands into his.

"You were so gorgeous today. I can't wait to walk in there and hear them announce you as my wife." Fee smiles at him.

"I loved the vows you wrote. They were so special."

"I'm glad you liked them, my love. Here, you have something on your face." He leaned over and kissed her cheek, causing her to giggle.

"Did you get it?"

"I think so." She giggles again, and they stop in front of the restaurant. He turns to her and makes a face.

"Do we have to go in?"

"It's too late to elope. It'll be fine. Besides, it's smooth sailing tonight. We already did the hard part. This is the party part." He grins at her, and smoothes her hair again, and she straightens his collar before refreshing her lip gloss. She turns to him.

"Are you ready?" He nods, and they climb out of the car, hand in hand, heading for the building. He sees JJ look out the window and spot them, and she runs outside.

"I just told Hotch to get ready for the announcement. Can you guys give us another minute? I'll text you, Spence."

"Of course."

"The ceremony was beautiful, by the way." They grin as their friend runs back into the restaurant. A few moment later, Spencer's cell phone buzzes in his pocket, and he grins.

"Our first introduction as husband and wife. Let's go." She nods, and they both run lightly to the door, and fling it open. Fiona smiles as the Hotch speaks.

"And it's my pleasure to introduce, for the very first time, Dr. and Mrs. Spencer Reid."

Fiona laughs as Spencer kisses her again, and they take their place at their table to sit through toasts before the dinner begins.

The toasts are given by both of their supervisors, JJ, Derek, Liam, and Fiona's father. Then dinner is served, and they eat and chat with their family and close friends at the table with them. Finally, someone starts the music, and Fiona and her father dance the first dance, and as they finish, he presents her to Spencer.

He spins her to the song they'd chosen, a sweet little Nat King Cole song, which Fiona had heard once called "When I Fall in Love," which Spencer had chuckled at when she first suggested. Now, he was too happy to care, and as they finish their dance and he embraces her, the others join them on the dance floor.

The party continues as Fiona and Spencer take a break from dancing to greet their guests and get ready to cut the cake. They are greeted by smiles and well-wishes and hugs from most everyone, and make a sweep of the room, hand in hand, smiling and being happy newlyweds. When they stop in front of Hotch, who is cuddling a now-sleeping Jack in his arms, Fiona touches the boy's face.

"He's so adorable. I am glad you brought him along; I hope someday we can have one as well behaved as he is." Spencer nods.

"Thank you. But he's putting on a show; in reality, he's a stinker. But he had a great time. Thanks for inviting us."

"Thank you for coming." Hotch noticed that Spencer was glancing across the room, following Gideon's movements with his eyes, and smiled.

"I hope you don't mind, Spencer, but I called him. I thought you might like to have him here." Spencer smiles and nods.

"Thank you. It was a nice surprise. Your speech earlier was fantastic; thanks for agreeing to it."

"It's my pleasure. I was surprised to see your father here."

"Me, too. But he seems to be behaving himself, so maybe it won't be too bad."

"I almost had to tell Morgan to stand down. It's a good thing you had him speak to me." Spencer laughs.

"Thank you for taking care of it. Would you please excuse us?" He nods, and Spencer pulls her towards Gideon, who smiles when he sees his former protégée heading towards him, his new wife in tow.

"Hello, Spencer." Spencer embraces his former mentor, and steps back, pulling Fiona forward.

"Gideon. It's so nice to see you. Thank you for coming today. Hotch told me he called you. Oh, this is Fee."

"Hello, dear. It's nice to meet you." Fiona smiles and shakes his hand.

"It's nice to meet you, too. Spence has told me so much about you. I am glad you could make it." He nods and replies.

"It's my pleasure." She nods, and eyes her husband, who is looking oddly at the man.

"Would you both excuse me, please? I need to locate the wash room." They nod, and Fiona leaves them to chat, Spencer telling the man all about his wife, and their relationship. Fiona pulls her old friend Jo to a corner to chat.

"You look good, Fee."

"Thanks. I feel good. Jo, I love him so much."

"I can tell. Thanks for inviting me. But I can't stand that woman you sat me next to."

"Which one?"

"Ashley Seaver or something. She's boring." Fiona laughs.

"Yeah, she works with Spencer. That girl I introduced you to this morning, Penelope, she says that Seaver had been after Spencer. But he didn't care much for her, not romantically, anyway."

"And to think you didn't want to go on the first date."

"I am so glad all of you talked me into it."

"He's so cute. I wish he had a brother."

"Ah, what? Liam doesn't tickle your fancy?"

Both girls laughed, and Jo shook her head, her petite frame and black hair a big contrast to Fiona's, and they were garnering attention. From the corner of her eye, she could see Spencer heading her way as Jo spoke.

"Sorry, he's a little too young for my tastes. Besides, I don't think I'd like jail too much." They laugh again as Spencer places his hands on Fiona's waist. She smiles up at him, and indicates her friend.

"Honey, this is Joanne Pierce, my very best friend in college. Jo, meet my husband, Spencer." Fiona smiled as they greeted each other warmly, and then as Spencer excused them to Jo.

"Apparently, it's time to do the cake, garter and flower part." Fiona nods and lets him escort her to the front table again, where they slice the cake, sharing it with each other before sharing it with their guests. They mingle some more, this time gathering with Spencer's friends. Penelope is smiling and giggly, and speaks to Fiona as Spencer chats with Rossi.

"I can't wait for you two to have kids. I can just picture Spencer holding a little baby genius, all little round glasses and a dictionary instead of his Elmo." Fiona laughs.

"There's plenty of time for that. I love that dress on you; it's totally flattering. When are you and Kevin going to do it?" Penelope grins.

"Soon, I hope." They giggle again, and Penelope looks to Spencer. "He has been so happy since he found you. Don't let him ever get away."

"I swear I won't." She smiles as Kevin sweeps Penelope away, and turns to her husband, who smiles back and takes her arm as he finishes his conversation. He turns to her, and speaks.

"Should we head up front to toss the bouquet, and then get ready for the honeymoon?" She smiles and nods, but is accosted by Nicole.

"Fiona, you look so pretty." Fiona bends and hugs the girl.

"Thanks, sweetie. You look pretty, too." The girl was wearing a purple wrap dress in cotton, and Mary Janes. Her fine brown hair was pulled back with a purple headband, and she had a little sparkly lip gloss on. Fiona realized the dress was a little worn, and it dawned on her that her mother's family had little money, and her heart ached a moment for the child. But she smiled, and spoke to the girl.

"Nikki, Spence and I are going to throw the bouquet and things right now, but I need some help. Will you help me?" The girl nods, and smiles.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Follow me." Fiona nods to Spencer, who leads her to the front of the room, Nikki in tow. Fiona racks her brain, trying to think of something for the girl to do, and suddenly, she gets an idea. She whispers to the girl as Spencer makes the announcement that she was going to toss her bouquet.

"Nikki, I am going to toss my flowers now, but what I really need is for you to come with me in a little bit when I put on my going-away outfit, because this dress is a pain to get on and off, ok? Can you do that for me?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to stand with the other girls to get the flowers?" The girl shakes her head.

"I think I'm too young." Fee smiles.

"Probably. But here, you can have just one. For hope for the future. Maybe that Peter boy, hmm?"

Nikki smiled as Fee pulled one of the lilies from her bouquet and hands it to the girl before turning to the assembled bevy of woman, and turning around. She tossed the flowers over hand to the waiting crowd, and turns around to see Jo catch the flowers effortlessly, much to Penelope's dismay. Fee shrugs at her new friend, and smiles at her old one, and claps with everyone else. Spencer indicates a chair for her, so she can sit while he pulls off her garter, and toss it to the single males. She sits, primly, as he lifts her skirt slightly and slides his hand up her leg. She giggles, and shakes her head at him playfully, and he slides the garter off of her leg, and stands, kissing her before turning the men and sling-shooting the fabric into the crowd, then laughing as she stands and they embrace. The garter is caught by a sheepish-looking Derek Morgan as Spencer busts up. Then he tells the crowd that he and Fiona will soon be leaving for their honeymoon, and excuses them to change.

In the restrooms of the restaurant, Fiona and Spencer spend their first few minutes of alone time of their marriage. Fiona takes the quiet moment to breathe deeply and reflect on the past year, from her nervous rambling on their first date, to the soft, tender way Spencer had touched her when they'd first made love, to the time they were shopping together, and he was being silly-it had been the day he'd suggested that they buy their house. Her mind flashed to the Vegas trip, and the fact that she had been feeling needy and unloved, and the purple dress she wore to pique him. Finally, her mind flashed to the hostage scene, and her fear that he would dump her, deciding that his safety was far more important than her. But he hadn't, and here she was. She glanced at her wedding band, a slim, silver eternity band, and smiled. The door flew open then, and Syd and Nikki blew in.

"Syd showed me the two dresses you picked out. I think you should wear the polka dot one." Fee smiles.

"Thanks, Nikki. I like that one, too. Ok, Syd. The polka dot one it is." They dress Fee quickly, hanging her gown, and Nikki helps her to pin back the front of her hair, and step into a pair of patent leather high heels, strap on a strand of pearls, and repair her makeup. Finally, Fee was ready to face her husband and guests to be seen off on their vacation. She sighs, and embraces her sister, and then her step-mother.

"Thank you both. Nikki, I couldn't have done it without you. You were so much of a help. I talked to my friend Jo; she's going to drive you back to the train station later, OK? I will call you when we get home, OK? But I'll be checking email every so often." The girl nods.

"Ok. I'll be in touch, then."

"Great. Let's go."

"Wait, you forgot your purse." Nikki hands Fee her purse, the same black envelope purse she'd carried on her first date. She smiles at the girl, and ruffles her hair.

"Thanks." The three women exit the bathroom to find Spencer waiting, dressed in a casual outfit of slacks, sweater, and sports coat. He grins at Fiona, and kisses Nikki and Syd on their cheeks.

"Thanks for making my wife so gorgeous. We'll see you two later?"

"Of course. Dec and I will be waiting to drive you both to the airport. That JJ woman has had your luggage put in the car already. She's really quite efficient, where can I get one?" They laugh at Syd's comment, and then the two other women leave the couple alone. They take a moment to talk.

"So can't you just give me a little tiny hint where you're taking me?" Fiona speaks to Spencer, her blue eyes playfully begging him.

"Nope. It would ruin the surprise. But you'll love it, I promise. I love this dress on you, by the way. The polka dots really suit you."

"Thanks. That sweater is rocking my world." He smiles.

"Thanks. Shall we do this?"

"We shall." He starts to lead her back into the main room, but she stops him near the doors, and kisses him deeply. "I love you, Spencer."

"I love you, too, Fee." They burst into the room again, all smiles, and they thank their friends and families for joining them on their special day, and then they are quickly whisked off to the airport, baggage secured, with JJ's promise that everything would be taken care of.

As they make their way through the security checkpoint, and on to their terminal, Fee sighs in happiness. Soon, they are settled in the terminal, both wrapped up in each other, smiling in joy. They told everyone they'd met, from the ticketing agent to the security officer to the gate woman that today they'd gotten married, and watched, enchanted, as the whole of DC, it seemed, shared in their joy.

End of Part 8


	9. Chapter 9

The Doctor and the Redhead, Part 9-To Russia, with Love

0900 Hours

St. Peter's Hotel

St. Petersburg, Russia

Her lovely surprise had been a European holiday, and they were beginning in Russia, of course. They had arrived late the evening before, and had pretty much fallen straight to sleep. Now, Fiona was wide awake, sitting on the edge of the bed, paging through a travel guide.

"Can we go see St. Peter's cathedral? And the Tolstoy tour, of course." Spencer, who was sitting on the opposite edge of the bed, checking email, laughed.

"Of course, sweetheart. We can do anything you want." She grins, and stands, walking to where he is sitting, and sits down next to him.

"Should I call down and have us sent up some breakfast, or do you want to go somewhere?"

"I saw a little café on the main road; let's go check it out." They agree, and dress for their day out. Finally, they sit in a little café, eating hot buns and drinking Russian tea. They have both impressed the owners with their perfect pronuncation and grasp of the language, so he is sitting with them, his family gathered around, as Spencer and Fee recount their love story for them.

"Oh, it's so romantic," swoons the owner's daughter, a homely brunette called Maria. Fiona smiles, and nods. The family part as they finish their meal and head out on the town to sightsee. They make their way around old palaces, and chat about their opionons on Stalin's form of socialism. They duck into old bookstores, and browse for dusty old tomes to tote back home and read. They purchase tea and biscuits in the shopping district, and settle in a park to watch the people passing by, all the while holding hands and stopping to kiss each other every so often.

Several hours later has them sitting in a resturant, deciding between Borscht and Piroshki for dinner, and indulging is Russian vodka. Fiona, aware of her empty stomach, is trying to be very careful with the vodka, but finds herself a little tipsy as Spencer turns to her.

"Well, we've been in St. Petersburg for almost 24 hours, my dear. What do you think so far?"

"I love it. This was a great idea." He grins, pleased, and continues.

"Well, we only have a week to do the whole country, so make sure you get in what you want to. Then it's on to more." She grins back, and nods.

"I can't wait. I want to call Syd and Dad later in the week and tell them what it's like. I think Syd would love it." He nods.

"I think most people would." She agrees, and they finish their dinner, and head to a local movie house. They take in a film, and then head back to their hotel, smiling, well-fed, and comfortable.

As they arrive back in their suite, they begin to prepare for bed, and the next day, another day of sightseeing-a tour of former Imperial sites. Spencer, feeling frisky, pulls Fee close to him, and kisses her neck. She giggles, and pushes him away.

"Can I at least brush my teeth first? That piroshki had so much onion in it, I could kill a horse." He grins and nods, but then turns serious.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you. What if we try for a baby?" Fiona spits some toothpaste into the sink, and turns to face him.

"Right now?" He nods, looking a little flustered.

"Well, not right this second, but yes." Fiona shrugs.

"I need a bit to think about it." He nods.

"Ok. I understand." Fiona rinses her mouth, and smiles.

"Thanks." She tells him she wants a shower, and he decides to read while she is cleaning up. As the warm water trickles down her skin, she thinks about her husband's declaration, and realizes that she is very afraid of the idea of having children. First, she is unsure if she can handle it; her own mother couldn't, and she worried about how that boded for their family. Second, she is worried that the child would be smarter than them, and they wouldn't know what to do. Or worse, that the kid would be dumb, and they'd be really lost. Finally, she wondered if it wasn't too fast-all of it, really. It had only been a year and a half since they'd first met, and Spencer had been only her third boyfriend. Ever. She decided to air her feelings to him, though, as he was the closest person in her life, and the one that understood her the most. She quickly shampooed her hair, and then climbed out, toweling herself off before applying her body cream. She slipped a bathrobe on, and padded to the main room, where Spencer was sitting, reading quietly. She smiles at him, grabs her comb, and settles next to him.

"So I was thinking in there," he puts his book aside, and sits up a bit to pay better attention to her as she continues, "and I realized that I am scared of being a mother. I know it sound irrational, but what if, like my mother, I can't handle it? What if we don't wind up with a genius child, but instead one that is stupid? Or worse, one that is smarter than both of us? Will we be able to adequately address that? And, while we have been together for awhile, doesn't it seem a little, I don't know, clichéd? The whole honeymoon baby thing, I mean." He nods, considering her words.

"Look, sweetheart. Firstly, you're nothing like your mother. I have seen how you are with Henry, and Jack, and your co-workers babies, and you're fantastic. Besides, your mother DID have two more, and they seem fairly normal. And, our children may or may not be geniuses, but they will most certainly be intelligent, and they will be great. The best combination of the both of us. I don't think it's ever perfect, being a parent. I think you just kind of figure it out as you go. As for the honeymoon baby thing, who cares? I think people were surprised it didn't happen sooner." She thinks for a moment as he continues. "I know it was kind of sudden, and if you're truly not ready, we'll wait. But I will always, always be here to do this with you. I promise you that." She nods, and a slow smile spreads across her face.

"Well, I guess it can't hurt to start tapering off the pill, anyway. How long will it take to leave my system completely?"

"I don't know precisely, but I think anywhere from 48 to 72 hours."

"I can deal with that. Wanna have sex?" He grins, and shakes his head, amused by her sudden change of heart, and pulls her to him.

"With you, always." She giggles as they make love, and fall into a deep sleep.

The next few days proceed similarly, but the fourth day finds Spencer with a bad case of the stomach flu. As he is sleeping off the medications that they have managed to secure from the Consulate, Fiona makes some phone calls.

"JJ? It's Fee. St. Petersburg is lovely; we are having a great time…No, he can't talk, he's fast asleep. Only Spence would get stomach flu on his honeymoon…Yeah, it's gorgeous. I can't wait for the rest of Europe, too….I know. How are you?…Great….how is work?…Spence misses everyone, he said yesterday. Great, I'll tell him….yeah. I'll talk to you later, then. Bye."

She has the same conversation with Syd, and with Melanie, before turning off her phone and flipping on the TV. She watches old American sitcoms for a while, and then Spencer stirs.

"Fee? What time is it?"

"It's four pm. You've basically been asleep for six hours." He grimaces, and sits up. "Are you feeling any better?"

"No. I'm so sorry, dear. I know you wanted to do stuff today."

"It's OK. I want you to feel better." He nods, and mumbles something before standing and hurrying to the bathroom. Fiona hears him heave, and she stands and then sits next to him on the floor near the toilet as he vomits, rubbing his back. She hadn't realized that the "in sickness and in health" part would come so quickly, but she felt like she was handling it well. As he stood to rinse his mouth, she kissed his cheek.

"You should sleep some more. Don't worry about me; if I get too bored, I will go down and use the pool." He nods, and heads for the bed, and falls into it. She cuddles in next to him, and speaks soothingly to him.

"It's ok, sweetie. Just try to rest." He nods, silently, and falls back to sleep as she nods off. They remain this way until the following morning.

Fiona startles awake, still dressed in her clothes from the day before, and can hear Spencer breathing deeply beside her. She sits up, and looks around, confused. She realizes that they are still in their bed at the hotel in St. Petersburg, and she exhales, and stands to take a quick shower. After she is clean and freshly dressed, she puts on a little makeup and wakes Spencer.

"Sweetie. How are you feeling today?" She climbs back on the bed next to him, and he turns over to face her.

"A little better. How long did I sleep?"

"About 27 hours total." He grimaces, and she giggles. "You must have needed it, honey. Are you feeling up to a light breakfast?" He nods, and takes in her appearance.

"You look great. How long have you been up?"

"About an hour. I went to bed early last night myself." He sits up then.

"I'm sorry. I know honeymoons are supposed to be all romantic and stuff. I don't know what I ate that made me so sick." She bends over and kisses him.

"It's OK. I'm glad you're feeling better. I have an idea. Why don't you get a shower while I run to the market up the street and find us some food, and then I'll come back, and we'll spend the whole day in bed." He grins.

"Sounds like a great idea." He stands and crosses to the bathroom as she finds her purse and room key, and lets herself out. She heads for the market they'd discovered just a few blocks away, grateful that she was fluent in the language of the people milling about, just in case she got lost. She ducks into the market and grabs a basket, filling it with yogurt, pastries, and local fruit. She selects some orange juice, wincing at the price, but checks out and ambles back to the hotel. When she arrives in the room, she grins.

While she'd been out, Spencer had taken the fastest shower of his life, and then set about making the room a little more romantic. He'd pulled some flowers from the bunch that they'd purchased their first day at the bazaar, and had sprinkled them around the room and on the bed. He wished they were roses, but whatever they were, they'd have to suffice. He lit some candles that Fee had brought, just in case of a power outage or emergency, and finally, he'd ordered two bottles of wine-one sparkling and one red-and put the bubbly on ice. He was just beginning to play a little sexy jazz music on his laptop as Fee entered. She stopped in the doorway, and he watched her smile.

"Spence, what is this?" He grinned, and took the package out of her arms, setting it down on the desk nearby.

"I just wanted to make a special morning for you. You took care of me the past day and a half, going to the embassy and all, so I though I could take care of YOU today." She smiles again.

"Thank you, dear. This is a lovely surprise. I found some pastries and yogurt; that might help your tummy feel better." He nods and settles himself at the desk table as she does the same. They eat their breakfast, chatting lightly about Fiona's phone calls the previous day, and finish in silence. He cleans up the table as she uses the restroom, and after she comes out, he pulls her close to him, and whispers to her.

"Thank you for being so great about this. Only I would get sick on my honeymoon." Fiona laughed, and explained that she'd said the exact same thing to JJ the day before. He chuckled, and opened the bubbly, pouring it into glasses the kid who'd brought it up gave him to go with it. He handed her a glass.

"Some champagne, Mrs. Reid?" She giggles, and nods.

"My pleasure, Mr. Reid." He grins, and sips his wine, placing the glass on the table next to the bed before leaning in to kiss her. He closes his eyes as their lips touch, and a few moments later, he can feel her body wrapping around his. He inhales sharply before kissing her again, and they make out for awhile before making love. As they relax after, he grins into her hair.

"Man, married sex is better than dating sex." She giggles and replies.

"I agree. It's much more calming, I think."

"Yes." They lie entwined for a bit, and then Fee sighs and reaches for her bubbly, finishing it in one gulp. He chuckles. "Watch it, honey." She grins at him, and stands to pour herself more. He sighs, and reaches for her when she comes back to the bed.

"Don't worry. I am fine." He grins, and runs his hand lightly over her belly, causing her to giggle.

"That tickles." He grins, but turns serious.

"I can't wait for the baby." She grins back.

"I know. I'm warming up to the idea that I might not be total crap as a mother." He shakes his head.

"You will be a fine mother. Isn't supposed to be instinctual, anyway?"

"You tell me, Mr. Psychology." She taps his nose and he smiles at her.

"I think it is." She shrugs.

"I hope so. I have good instincts. Do you remember that time, on our first date, when I excused myself to the bathroom? I was calling JJ, to tell her that it was going well, because I knew that there was a spark." He nods.

"I called Derek, and told him the same thing."

"See? I have good instincts."

"You do." They chat some more about the rest of their week in Russia; tomorrow, they will move on to Moscow and spend three days there. Fee decides she wants to do some shopping, and then they talk about a museum trip that Spencer was interested in. They make love again, and settle back to read for awhile.

Spencer suggests dinner, and they decide to head to town. They eat at the same resturant they'd eaten at the first night, and the owner welcomes them again. They order their same meals, and eat with music playing in the background, and a Russian grandmother telling Fee to eat all of her beets, as they are good for fertility. She grimaces, but eats the whole meal, with Spencer laughing and patting her knee. They drink and dance a bit, and then stumble home to make love again, and then fall into a blissful sleep.

Moscow is unseasonably warm and sunny for the first day of their trip; a two hour train ride from St. Petersburg put them in a more modern section of town, complete with a grand hotel, Starbucks, and a McDonald's. Fiona laughs at the resturant, and they find their hotel and unpack their things before heading out to explore the city. They find themselves in a bar at the edge of town, and suddenly, Fee is on high alert. She had been to Moscow once before, on a special ops assignment, and remembered that this area was slowly booming, but still had a bad element. She told Spencer as much, but he said she was silly, that it had been six years ago, and things had changed.

They had a couple of rounds of vodka shots, and then quickly left at Fiona's insistence, as Spencer chuckled at her.

"Sweetie, I think you're being a little overly cautious."

"Uh, huh. You won't say that when we read in the paper tomorrow that someone was killed here." He shrugs, but follows her back to the main part of town, where she relaxed. They bought dinner from a street vendor, and headed back to their hotel. They made love that night, and then she fell asleep, as Spencer found himself wide awake, listening to the noises of the city below them.

The next morning, they sat in the lobby of the hotel, eating their breakfast and reading the newspaper when Spencer laughed out loud, and showed Fiona a news clip. She had been right; the bar they had been in the night before had been raided not long after they left, and several Socialist party members had been arrested.

"See, honey. You can't just be cavalier when you're in a forgein country. Our freedoms don't extend beyond our soil." He shrugs, but nods.

"Ok, you're right. I am glad we left when we did, then."

"Me, too. What time does the museum tour start?"

"One hour. So hurry up and finish. There's a shuttle we can take from the hotel to there." She nods, and quickly finishes her meal. They head to the museum, and wander around for three hours, taking in old Russian art. They sit in the food court of the museum and have lunch before heading for the shopping district so Fee could pick up some souvenirs for Syd and Nicole. They purchase some nesting dolls for the women, brilliantly painted and beautifully packaged, and then cab it back to the hotel for dinner. They made reservations at the nice resturant attached to their hotel, and Fiona brings the purple dress back out. They garner stares all evening; the gorgeous American couple out on their honeymoon, so much in love and having a great time. They head back upstairs after a few drinks, and fall into bed.

The next two days continue thus, adding in a few makeout sessions in their hotel room late in the evening, and sometimes they make love in the middle of the day. On the last day in Russia, they visit a teahouse and another museum, this one attached to a University, and they spend several hours wandering around, immersing themselves in the culture they both love so much. They talk about everything, and sometimes nothing, and revel in the sweetness of their time together, building their bond further.

Finally, it is the evening of their last night in Russia, and Fee is a little sad.

"I just wish we could've had a few more Borscht's. Like tourists, you know." He chuckles.

"Yes, my dear. I know. But it was fun anyway." She nods, and they decide on a whim to explore the Italian resturant that they'd discovered near their hotel. They fill up on American-style pasta, and lots of red wine and head back to their hotel, drunk and happy. They make love for the final time on Russian soil, and sleep well.

End of Part 9.


	10. Chapter 10

The Doctor and the Redhead, part 10-The City of Lovers and Erin Go Bragh

0900 Hours

Hotel Raphael

30 Avenue Kleber

Paris

Spencer and Fiona find themselves awakening to the tolling of the bells from the Notre Dame on the second leg of their European holiday. The next three days has them in Paris, and as they prepare for the day, Fiona speaks to her husband.

"So, when you were sleeping on the plane, I called my girlfriend Sabine, who lives here. Anyway, she's having a dinner party tomorrow night, mostly current and former CIA, and we're invited, if you want to go." He nods.

"Sure."

"Ok, I'll call her and let her know. I've also discovered that my French is a little rusty."

"It's OK; I am fluent. I'll help you." She grins, and takes her cell phone from the bedside table and dials. A few moments later, Spencer can hear her trilling down the phone.

"Bonjour, Sabine. Mon mari et moi aimerions venir….six P.M. ? L'ok… vous voient demain soir. Au bientot." *

She turns to Spencer and smiles.

"Ok, Six pm tomorrow night; 47 Rue de Malte." He nods.

"Great. Let's head over to the Musee de Orsay today, then. We'll do the tourist bit, and then tomorrow is that lecture at the Sorbonne you wanted to sit in on."

She nods, and they finish dressing and head out on the town. They grab some tea and croissants at a roadside café and then head for the center of the town, where the museums and Eiffel tower tours are located. They loaf around art museums until late in the afternoon, commenting on the art, and daydreaming about life and romance in earlier times, and the lives they would have led. Fee casts herself in the role of oppressed Irish housemaid, and Spencer as her artist knight in shining armor, and they laugh and kiss and amble throughout the town.

They decide on a simple dinner in the heart of Paris; Fiona claimed that since they were in one of the best gastronomical cities of the world, they'd better enjoy it while they could. So they found themselves a cute little Bistro and settled in for a meal of traditional French goodness. They drink some wine, and watch the sunset behind the Arc d'Triomphe and then head back to the hotel for the night. They spend some time catching up with work friends and family, and then turn in.

The next morning, Spencer is all smiles as he watches his wife dress for the lecture she was scheduled to attend. He was glad he'd been able to arrange their honeymoon to include the lecture, which was a four-hour workshop on translation techniques from a former Interpol agent, and a discussion on French international relations. Spencer was going to spend that time indulging in some reading at a nearby park, and then they were to meet for lunch before a quick shop and then the dinner party.

He chuckles to himself as she selects on of her usual outfits-black jeans, a purple-and-black flannel shirt, and t-shirt white t-shirt with a screen print of Prince on the front. She slides into some sneakers and pulls her hair back into a ponytail. He loves her best when she is wearing her street clothes, and he notes with triumph that she forgoes her contacts and makeup and opts for her glasses. He watches as she bustles around, sticking a notebook and pen into her laptop bag, and making sure she has her phone on. He realizes that she can feel him watching her, because she raises her head and smiles at him.

"You're staring at me."

"I am. I love it when you wear your old clothes." She grins, but turns into the bathroom and shoves some chap stick and Kleenex into her bag. Finally, she locates her wallet, and her umbrella, just in case, and turns to Spencer.

"Are you sure you're going to be OK?" He nods.

"Yes, dear. You forget that I have been to Paris before, as well."

"Right. Ok, so we will meet at the Café du la Monde on Rue du Chapeau at 1, right?" He nods.

"Yes."

"Ok, I'll see you then." She leans in to kiss him, and then heads out for the day.

Several hours later has the couple sitting in the café, chatting, sipping white wine and munching on a light meal.

"How was it?" Spencer asks Fee.

"Amazing. You might have found it interesting, also. It was more like a layman's guide to translating documents, geared for professionals like lawyers, but fascinating. The woman running the thing really knew her stuff. Then the panel discussion after-it was great. I felt like I was home, kind of, surrounded by other intellectuals. Paris is so much more than a tourist city; it's a hotbed of intellect and I think people forget that." Spencer grins, and nods, happy that his wife had a good time.

"I know what you mean. Tell me more about this Sabine woman."

"Ahh. She used to be a spy, but I can't really tell you more than that, because it's classified. Or at least, not here. Anyway, I met her originally when I started at the CIA. She was my trainer, you know that I originally wanted to be a spy." He nods, as she continues.

"Anyway, Sabine is great. She's this tall, gorgeous brunette who comes from a poorer part of Marseilles, and is married to another former spy, Roger. Roger is her complete opposite. He's very proper, went to Oxford, and has a ton of money. Then there's the other Fee; Phoebe, who hails from West London, worked for Scotland Yard, once got suspended for telling her boss to piss off, and has slept with a ton of men. She is their roommate, and fantastic. Those are the hosts. I wonder who all is going to be there; Oh, I think you'll finally get to meet Frank."

Spencer made a face; Frank was Fiona's second and most recent boyfriend behind Spencer. He understood that the man worked for the CIA, doing basically the same job as Fee, but worked strictly special ops, and he and Fee never saw each other, and Fee confided that she felt that he'd been unfaithful. He mused for a moment about her poor history with men, and felt a surge of happiness and pride that he'd been the one to break that cycle for her. She giggled, and he looked at her, realizing that she'd spoken and he'd missed it.

"Spence? I asked if you were ready to head back to the hotel." He nods.

"Yes. Let's."

They pay their check and amble back to their hotel, where they nap for a bit before Spencer's alarm rings out. Then, they dress and clean up for the dinner party. As Fee is holed up in the bathroom, doing her hair, Spencer sits nervously at the side of the bed, and fiddles with his iPod. He knew Fee would kill him if she knew he was going to bring it, but he felt like he might need an escape, as he was scared that her friends wouldn't like him. Finally, she emerged from the bathroom, and he smiled.

She was wearing the same dress she'd worn when they'd left the wedding for their honeymoon, but this time she added a wide black patent belt, the chandelier earrings he'd bought her when he'd been in Chicago on a case, and her black flats. Her hair was straightened, and she wore her black headband. He noticed that she was still wearing her glasses, but had put on some makeup. He loved that she was going halfway tonight-parts of her old look with part of her new look. He grinned, and spoke.

"Wow, you look gorgeous." She smiled at him, and moved towards the dresser to grab her bag.

"Thanks. You look good yourself." Spencer was wearing a pair of black slacks, her favorite shirt of his- the white linen one she'd bought for him, and a black cardigan. He had combed his curls out, and his hair shone in the sunlight streaming through the small window in the bedroom. He smiles.

"Thanks. The cab is waiting downstairs; we need to hurry." She nods, slips her phone and wallet into a bag she was holding, and nods.

"Let's go." Spencer leads her into the hallway and the elevator, and downstairs. He notices her bag, and realizes he doesn't recognize it.

"Nice bag. When did you get that?"

"Oh, Garcia loaned it to me." He shrugs.

"That was nice of her. It matches your dress well." She nods.

"I know, that's why I asked." They dash into the waiting cab and make it across town in a relatively quick amount of time. As they ring the buzzer to Sabine's apartment, Fee speaks to Spencer.

"Don't be too worried; everyone will love you. But more important, I love you." He smiled and kissed her head as she announced them and they were buzzed in. As they trooped up a flight of stairs and were shown into a warm, glowing apartment, Spencer grinned. He liked the room; it was different than their house, very colorful, with art on the walls and old furniture everywhere. A fat calico cat snoozed on a window seat, seemingly unaware of the party starting around him. All of a sudden, a tall, brunette woman in a leopard print leotard and leggings appeared out of nowhere and scooped Fee into a large hug.

"Fiona. You're here." As the woman released Fee, she turned to Spencer. "You must be the husband. Nice to meet you." Spencer tried to introduce himself, but the woman had already turned her head, and was shouting in heavily-accented English to an invisible crowd of people in the next room. "Everyone, Fiona has come, with her gorgeous American husband." A chorus of laughter met her declaration, but she turned back to the couple, and spoke to Spencer again.

"Hello, I am Sabine. It's nice to meet you, finally." He smiles.

"I am Spencer Reid. It's nice to meet you." Sabine smiles warmly at Fee, and motions behind her.

"Go sit, and Rog will get you a cocktail. We have so much catching up to do, Fee." Fiona laughs as she takes Spencer's hand and leads him into a dining room, where several small tables are set up, Bistro style, along with one large table, and indicates a nearby table for them. But before they can sit, however, they are accosted by a short blonde girl, who embraces Fiona enthusiastically.

"Fiona! We've missed you so much. We heard about your marriage; come, sit at the big table. I'll make Henri-Luc move. We have to chat, and everyone wants to meet your husband." Fiona smiles, and pulls Spencer along with her, stopping at the large square table in the middle of the room. The woman speaks.

"Everyone, I found Fiona." Fiona smiles, and indicates Spencer.

"She did. Everyone, this is Spencer." Spencer is warmly greeted by the group, and he and Fee were seated at the big table, next to a man that introduced himself as Henri-Luc. The blond who had greeted them moments before sat on the opposite side of the man, and smiled.

"By the way, I am Phoebe. It's nice to meet you, Spencer." Spencer nods, and Fee smiles at him. She takes his hand in hers as some others speak to her. A cauliflower-eared man with dark features speaks to her.

"Fee, you look fantastic. Is that makeup?" Fee rolls her eyes.

"Yes, it is. Doesn't this dress rock your world? Oh, you haven't officially met Spencer. Marv, this is my husband, Dr. Spencer Reid. Spencer, this is Marv Matheson." Spencer nods to the man as he turns to the man next to him and speaks.

"Oooh, Fee. He's sexy." Fee rolls her eyes again, and turns to Spencer. "Marv is gay, so be ware. He likes to play footsie when he's had too much to drink. His boyfriend, Rolf, here, is the epitome of adorable." Spencer chuckles, and kisses her head.

"Sweetheart, I don't think that's polite." She shrugs.

"Sorry. But it's true." Marv speaks again.

" It is. So, Spencer. Tell us what you do."

"I work for the FBI. I am a profiler." The table fell silent for a moment, and Spencer looks around, confused, before Fee giggles. Then the girl called Sabine enters the room, another couple behind. She takes in the scene.

"What?" Phoebe speaks, giggly.

"Fee's husband works for the FBI. So I guess we can't harass him like we did the others." Spencer looks worriedly at Fee, who laughs and leans into him, whispering.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. They're kidding. They usually like to bullshit a lot, but they don't get to do that with someone else who knows our life. They're just a little disappointed." He nods, and smiles to the group as Sabine introduces the couple behind her.

"Well, you all know Frank, and this is Rosemary, his new lovely girlfriend. Let's scoot this bistro table at the end here; you don't mind sitting by Fee, do you, Frank? No, so here, sit down." Sabine speaks as she slides the nearby bistro table next to the large table, and Spencer makes a face at Fee. Fee smiles back, and places a hand lightly on his shoulder, and squeezes it as Phoebe speaks to the group.

"Nice to meet you, Rosemary. Fiona's husband was just telling us what he does for the FBI." Spencer proceeds to regale them with the information about his job, and cases he'd done, and even answered their questions about how they'd met, with Fee interjecting as she saw fit.

Later, they ate dinner and then someone started music in the front room, and they all gathered in the front room to dance and drink and chat. As Fee falls into a conversation with Phoebe, Spencer is cornered by Franks. From her perch on the couch, Fee watches the interaction between her ex-boyfriend and her husband, and sighs in relief when she sees that it is OK. She turns her attention back to Phoebe.

"Fee, you look really fantastic. He's good for you. Being in love, it looks well on you."

"Thank you. Spence really is fantastic. I am so lucky, and so grateful that he's mine."

"Mmm. I want to meet this Jennifer woman who set you up. Is she still with the agency?"

"Actually, she works with Spencer now. It's very odd. But you get plenty of men on your own, certainly you don't need a blind date."

"I find men who want a lover. I am ready for someone serious and consistent."

"Take Frank."

"Not hardly. I still don't get that whole thing. Agents shouldn't date other agents. Unless you're Sabine and Roger, who knew each other as kids, anyway."

"I know. I never really was in love with him, anyway. It was just more the idea of us. I was flattered that a man thought I was worthy of his time, and he liked me for my intelligence. Or so I thought."

"Yeah, what DID happen between you two?"

"It's classified."

"Bullshit. Let me guess-another woman?"

"That was part of it. Mostly it was after Greece. You know he was always hungry for promotion? I guess he thought that because I had a good relationship with our supervisor at the time, he could sleep with me, get in my good graces, and I'd be willing or forced, I guess, to put in a good word to Sheppard. He actually said that to me. I ended it right then." Phoebe looks thoughtful.

"Well, we always knew he was a jerk. But there WAS another woman?"

"Yeah, you remember Agent Morris's wife? Caroline or Carol Anne or whatever?"

"No. But she was so mousy, and unattractive."

"Men will put up with an ugly woman for great sex."

"FEE. You are so bad."

"It's true. Anyway, Pheebs. It was SO great to see you all. Next time, you all will have to come to DC to see me. Would you excuse me?"

"Of course." Fiona stands and heads for Spencer, who is now talking to Sabine and Roger, interrupting their conversation.

"Please, Sabine, Roger. Excuse me for a moment?" They nod, and she continues. "Spence, I am going to powder my nose, and then I think you should take me home." She turns to Sabine.

"Sabine, dear. Thank you for such a wonderful evening. Roger, it was so nice seeing you and everyone again. Thank you both for pulling this together; it was so special seeing the old crew again. Please, excuse me." Fiona heads for the restroom, and as she emerges, she is cornered by Frank.

"You got married."

"Yes. Rosemary seems like a lovely girl. How is Caroline Morris?"

"I wouldn't know. She ended our relationship almost immediately after you ended ours. I am sorry, Fiona, I want you to know that. I did care about-"

"Stop. I don't want you to speak anymore if this is going to all be about you. I am happy now, the happiest I have ever been, and Spencer is great. You can either share our happiness, or you can step aside right now, and never, ever speak to me again. The choice is entirely yours." Just then, Spencer approached, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you ok, my dear?"

"Yes, Frank here was just wishing us well in our marriage, and sharing in our joy, right, Frank?"

"Of course. You're a very lucky man, Dr. Reid. Don't let this one go."

"Thanks. I don't intend to."

"It was lovely to see you again, Frank. And tell Rosemary it was nice to meet her." The man nods once, curtly, and turns away as Fee turns to Spencer.

"Sorry about that, dear. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, of course. Sabine is waiting by the door with your bag." They walk hand in hand to the front door, and Fee kisses Sabine's cheeks as they leave.

"Thanks again, Sabine. You and Roger must come visit us the next time you're in the States."

"We will, my dear. It was lovely to meet you, Spencer. We're so glad our Fee has met someone who's so wonderful, and treats her well. Thank you both for coming." Fee and Spencer troop downstairs, and out into the chilly night air. As Fiona hails a cab, Spencer places his sweater over her shoulders.

"You forgot a jacket, Fee."

"Thanks. I know."

"What was up with that Frank guy?"

"He's still upset about us, I think. But I am not. Ending it was the right decision, and I have no regrets."

"Good. So what exactly happened between you?" They slide into the cab, and Fee cuddles close to him.

"It was a few years after the professor; my second year with the Agency. I was doing special ops full-time back then, and he was on my team. It was so stupid-you should never sleep with another agent, particularly a team mate. But I did. Anyway, we were on this assignment, tracking an international art thief, and we wound up following him to Crete. I was there, with Phoebe, and we posed as two college friends, because the suspect was a well-known womanizer. Anyhow, he took the bait, and we ended up arresting him. Later, I was pulled into his office, and he told me wonderful things-that I was brilliant, and did fantastically, and basically all the things I needed to hear after the Professor had hurt me."

"Anyway, one thing led to another, and at a birthday for a co-worker, he kissed me, and it was all she wrote. It went on for awhile, and then one day, he came back from an assignment that I didn't go on, to Bahrain, and he sat me down, and basically told me straight out that he knew that I had pull at the Agency, which I did, because I was a model employee, and minded my own business, and that if I really loved him, I would arrange for him to get a promotion, and then he'd see to it that I earned one, myself. I was so disgusted that I ended it on the spot."

"Wow. Can I just say that you have a knack for choosing jerks? Until me, I mean." She laughs.

"I know. I think it stems from a deep-seeded self-esteem problem."

"I've noticed. We'll work on that. Wow. But good for you for breaking it off."

"Thanks. And thank you for being so spectacular tonight."

"Of course. Your friends are generally great. Roger and I got along well, I think."

"I noticed. So, did Marv hit on you?"

"Sadly, no."

"Oh. Well, that's actually a good thing, because I might have had to kill him." Spencer chuckles, and kisses her as they pull up at their hotel, climb out, and amble to their room. They make love before falling asleep, curled against each other, and smiling.

The next two days proceed similarly, taking in the sights and museums and shopping. This time, Spencer picks up a few things for his mother, and they eat at roadside cafes before spending their evenings in.

The next three days find them in Dublin, much to Fiona's delight, and they tour old castles, take in a rugby game at Croke Park, and drink massive amounts of Guinness and whiskey. They see a modern art showing at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, and meet up with another American couple who are honeymooning also. They take in the sights of the

old churches of pre-reunification, and the pubs and shops of modern Ireland.

Finally, they find themselves in the airport, heading back home, with Spencer's promise to Fee that they'd see more of Europe in the upcoming years. Fiona laughs, and assures him that she's seen much of it anyway because of her former job at the Agency, and they head home happy, cultured, and still in love.

*This line translates, roughly, as "Hello, Sabine. My husband and I would love to come. 6 PM? Ok, we'll see you tomorrow night. Have a good evening." Like Fiona, my French is rusty, so pardon me if the tenses aren't correct.


	11. Chapter 11

The Doctor and the Redhead, Part 11-Baby Proof

0900 Hours

FBI HQ

Quantico, VA

A few weeks later has Spencer back at work. He was so happy to be back; he'd learned over the years that the BAU was his family, but more than that, he loved his job. But on the other hand, he was missing Fee and their carefree weeks away. He'd wanted to do a longer honeymoon, but Fee was worried about her father, who had fallen ill while they'd been away, so he'd agreed to come back early, and spent the rest of the month at home. Now, he was sitting in the meeting room, being teased by Derek, and waiting for Hotch and JJ to present the case.

"So, we started a bet while you were gone. I got a hundred bucks that says there will be a Spencer Jr. in the very near future."

"Derek, you cannot start a pool on my future offspring."

"Whatever. So are you or aren't you?"

"We've talked about it, but nothing is set in stone. I think Fee wants to wait a bit." Derek shrugs and opens his mouth, but just then Hotch enters, with JJ in tow. Hotch smiles at Reid, and speaks to the group.

"Welcome back, Spencer. The wedding was beautiful, and our best to Fiona. Now, people, let's get to work, OK? There's been a rash of campus assaults and murders in central California. The local PD has requested our help, and we leave in two hours. I expect you all to be back here in one. Go." Spencer sighs, and stands, and hurries for home to grab his day bag and shaving kit. He dials Fee as he heads for his car.

"Honey? It looks like I'm going to have to head to California for a little while."

"Wow, Hotch doesn't mess around, does he?"

"No. I'm going home to get my day kit and we're leaving after lunch."

"OK. I am actually at home; I wasn't feeling well again." Spencer frowned; ever since Dublin, Fiona had been ill. It was a sort of vague feeling of malaise, but he shook his head.

"Did you take something?"

"Yes, dear. I will see you soon, OK?" He sighs, but responds.

"Ok, Fee. I'll see you in a bit." He hangs up, climbs into his car, and heads for home. As he pulls into the drive, he can see Fee in the window in the master bedroom, pacing. He parks carefully, and heads inside and straight to the bedroom, where he embraces her.

"Honey, I'm sorry you're not feeling well. When did Dr. Keck say you could get in?"

"This afternoon. At two. So, California, huh?" He releases her and opens the closet, pulling out his duffel and filling it with some clothes and an extra pair of shoes. Fiona hands him his prepared shave kit; she'd taught him to keep one packed at all times, just in case. He prepares some files he'd need, and then sits on the edge of the bed, indicating for Fiona to do the same. As she settles in next to him, he takes her hand.

"Apparently so. Someone is killing college girls."

"Always. Anyway, I go back to work tomorrow. I'll keep you posted on the gossip and drama that is Melanie."

"Can't wait. Hotch and JJ say hello."

"Oh, that's so nice. My best to everyone. Do you want me to drive you back so your car doesn't have to sit there all week, and you don't have to take the subway in the rain?" He considers.

"Sure. Thanks. I actually have a little bit before I have to be back." Fiona grins.

"Well, in that case, you want to fool around?" He smiles, but shakes his head.

"No. I mean, I do, but we probably shouldn't. I tend to lose track of time."

"Oh, yeah. That pesky work thing." He laughs, but leans over and kisses her.

"Sorry, baby. But call me when you're done with your appointment. I want to know, OK?"

"Of course. Let's go to the kitchen. I'm hungry." He nods, and follows her to the kitchen, where he watches her cut an apple, and smiles as something occurs to him.

"Fee, have you considered the possibility you could be pregnant?" She nearly chokes on her apple slice as her eyes go big. He crosses to her, concerned, and pours her a glass of water. She takes it, downing it in two gulps. It is silent for a moment before she speaks.

"Oh, hell. I didn't. But it could be, huh? I mean, it's been, what, five weeks?"

"Right. And you've always been regular, right, with your, you know, women's troubles?" She chuckles.

"Yes. 28 days exactly. The only thing in my life I could rely on to be pretty much 100%." He nods as she takes a sad look to her face.

"What is it, honey?"

"I don't know. It just seems so sudden, I guess. I was thinking there'd be more time."

"It's never a good time, I don't think. There's always something, right?"

"I guess. It is what it is, right?" He nods.

"Yes. I hope it's nothing serious, but please, call me right away. No matter what. I'll talk to Hotch, let him know what's going on, and I'm sure he'll let me take a moment when you call."

"Great."

"We should head out in a minute."

Fee nods, tosses the apple parts in the compost bin they'd started, and rinses the knife and chopping board. She locates her keys, and they head back to the BAU. They chat lightly, avoiding the baby topic further, as Spencer drives.

"Where in California are you going?"

"Some place called Modesto. It's in the central valley area."

"Oh, OK. Never heard of it."

"Me, neither. But apparently, there's a college there."

"I see. Make sure to catch the bad guys, ok?"

"We usually do."

"I know." He parks, and turns to her, giving her a hug and kiss before sliding out of the car to grab his bag. He is sheepish when he sees that Rossi witnessed his PDA, but shrugs when Fee giggles. He takes his bag and briefcase and sets them on the ground near the entrance to the building as he turns to his wife.

"I'll miss you."

"Me, too. Call me when you fly back; I'll pick you up."

"I will. Call me tonight?"

"Absolutely." He nods, hugs her again, whispers that he loves her, and heads for the building, picking up his bag.

"I love you, honey."

He nods and waves as she climbs into the driver's seat, and zooms out of the parking lot. He checks his watch, and realizes that she has her appointment in a half-hour, and so she is likely heading for the clinic instead of home. He worries about her some more, and as he enters his work area, JJ speaks to him.

"Hey, Spence. Did Fee take the afternoon off to drop you off?"

"No, she's been ill. I am a little worried." JJ frowns.

"Is she OK?"

"I don't know. She's going to the clinic this afternoon. She's supposed to call me later."

"What are her symptoms?"

"She says that she feels sick to her stomach, and has headaches." JJ raises an eyebrow.

"Are you two trying for a baby?" He shrugs.

"We talked about it in Moscow, but we didn't decide either way. She did stop taking the Pill, though."

"So it's a possibility. I bet that's what it is. I wouldn't worry." He nods.

"Ok. Thanks. You're right. I have to concentrate on the case, not on Fiona."

"Oh, Spence. It's OK to worry. I am just saying, try not to jump to the worst-case scenario. I know it's hard, but she WILL call."

"I know."

Just then, Hotch arrives, and debriefs them on their duties, and they head out to the landing strip to leave for California. Spencer sits in his favorite seat on the small plane, and tries his best to hold down conversations with the others, but he is sure they can sense something is wrong. He inhales and exhales, checking his watch every few minutes, and driving JJ crazy. A little bit later, his cell phone rings, and he sighs in relief when the display tells him it is Fee. He excuses himself to the others, and finds a secluded corner of the plane to chat.

"Sweetheart? What did Dr. Keck say?" She is breathing evenly, a sign that she is OK, so it must be good news.

"It's just a bout of anemia. I'm to eat some more protein, and I'll be just fine.." Spencer exhales, noticing that he feels mixed emotions.

"Well, that's good news. It's not something more serious."

"That's right. I DID ask him about pregnancy, and he said it was too early to tell. We can do an at-home test in two weeks, and then he can confirm it with a blood draw." He nods.

"Two weeks, huh? Ok, then."

"How are things?"

"We're over Ohio now."

"Nice. Tell JJ I'll call her later, ok?"

"I will. Thanks for calling."

"Of course. You're my husband and my closest friend. Of course you'd be the first one I'd call. I love you."

"I love you. I'll call you when we land."

"Ok. See you."

"Bye, sweetheart." He hangs up and resumes his seat on the plane, next to JJ. He turns to her and smiles.

"That was Fee. She's OK; it's just anemia." JJ smiles back.

"Well, at least it's not something more serious."

"Yes."

He exhales, and she turns to Rossi. Spencer pulls out his iPod and settles back to think. Of course he is glad that his wife is OK, and of course he doesn't want her to do anything that she doesn't want to do, but part of him was hoping she was pregnant, so that they could start their family. He didn't know how much time his parents had, and with her father's heart problems, he felt that it was important for them to establish a strong central family to lean on for support. Already, she was the best thing in his life, ever, and he believed that a child could only help. He didn't realize he'd fallen asleep with his mind churning until JJ shook him awake after they'd landed.

"Hey, Spence. It's time to wake up, okay? You were sleeping hard, what were you thinking about?"

"Fiona."

"Of course."

He chuckles and follows her off the plane and into a waiting car from the local PD. As they make the trek to the station, he phones Fee, and is frustrated when he gets the answering machine at home and on Fee's cell.

"Hello, you've reached the Reid's. Leave a message, and we'll get back to you. Thanks." He grimaced, but left a quick message.

"Sweetie, it's me. We've landed and are heading to the station. I'll call you when I can. Love you." He hangs up and leaves a similar message on her cell, noting that she had changed her name on the voicemail there, as well.

"Hello, this is Dr. Fiona Reid. Please leave a detailed message, and I will return your call when I can. Thanks."

"Mrs. Reid. This is your husband. Call me when you can. Love you." He hangs up, slides his phone into his pocket, and sighs. Hotch smiles at him.

"Is Fiona at work still?"

"No, she stayed home today because she had an appointment. I think she might be at her dad's house or maybe at the market. I told her I would call her when we landed."

"Well, after we brief the local chief, you can take a few minutes and try again. I need to call Jack myself."

"Thank you." They arrive at the station, and begin their assignment. It isn't until late that evening that he finally hears from Fiona. He is now in a hotel room, sharing with Rossi, and laying across the tiny twin bed. He flips open his cell phone on the first ring, not checking the display.

"Dr. Reid." A familiar female giggle causes him to smile.

"Dr. Reid, this is also Dr. Reid. I got your message. I went to the market, and then I swung by dad's. Melanie is coming over in an hour for some girl talk."

"That sounds nice. Have fun, OK?"

"We will. Thanks for letting me know that you got there. Talk to you later?"

"Yes. I am rooming with Rossi, so if you call the hotel, just be aware that he might answer."

"Got it. I love you, Spence."

"I love you too, Fee. Sleep well."

"You, too."

"Good bye."

"Bye." He sighed as the phone went dead, and then snaps it shut. He resumes staring at the ceiling, indulging in worrying about his wife.

Two weeks later, Fiona and Spencer are rising for the day, when Fee suddenly feels violently ill. She heads quickly for the bathroom, pushing her husband out of the way just in time to heave the contents of her stomach into the toilet. She grimaces as she flushes, and Spencer is at her side in a minute.

"Fiona, this anemia thing is getting out of hand. I'm calling Dr. Keck." She shakes her head as she stands to brush her teeth. She speaks to him.

"No, Spence. I think you were right." He looks confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Hello, it's been six weeks. I think I could be pregnant after all. Remember last week when the iron pills were working? I threw them up yesterday, too, at work." She'd left early for a staff meeting the day before, so Spencer had missed her spectacular digestive pyrotechnics in the women's room at the Agency; an illness so severe that Melanie had called their supervisor. She had had to do some great lying to convince him to not send her home, as she feared she had already missed so much work.

"You really think so?"

"It's the only logical conclusion."

"Well, do you want to go to the store and get one of those tests?"

"Yeah. Can you call the urgent care clinic and see if they can fit me in, too? Just in case." He nods, and turns around and picks up the phone as Fee brushes her teeth and finishes dressing.

After he hangs up, Spencer turns to her.

"Ok, so the nurse told me that whatever the test says, you should come in anyway; that the anemia might complicate things and also that there is a slim chance of a false positive, so pulling blood is a good idea." She nods.

"Ok, let's go." He nods, finds his keys, looks longingly at the fridge as they leave, and heads for the nearby drugstore. Fiona is silent, though he doesn't believe she is upset, so he tries to talk to her.

"Honey, are you OK?"

"Yes, dear. I am sorry; I'm just worried. And scared. And nervous." He nods.

"Me, too." She smiles at him as he parks the car and gets out, opening the door for her. She grins at him, and they walk hand-in-hand into the market. He grabs a basket and they head for the pharmacy area. They locate the correct aisle, and spend a half-hour going back and forth over the brands, trying to determine which to purchase. Finally, they ask the pharmacist which one he recommends, and they choose that one, plus an extra, for insurance. They add a few more items, and check out. Spencer suggests breakfast, but Fee Wants to go home.

"I want to get this out of the way." He nods.

"Ok, Fee. We'll be home in just a minute."

"Thanks, baby." He nods, and smiles at her, guiding her car towards home. When they arrive, they stop in the kitchen as Fiona sticks some sliced bread in the toaster for them. They eat quickly, Spencer making sure Fiona drinks a lot of water, and then they head for the bedroom. They sit next to each other on the bed, and Fiona pulls both boxes out of the carrier bags they have. She hands one to Spencer and keeps the other for herself.

"Read the instructions." He nods, and opens the box, scanning the paper insert that spilled out with the actual test supplies. He turns to her.

"Basically, you pee on the stick." She nods.

"That's what this one says, too. Ok, I'm going to do it. Put that one back in the box, then. Can you get the kitchen timer?" He stands and hurries to the kitchen, grabbing the egg timer off of the stove, and returning to the room. Fee is standing in the middle of the room, frowning, as she scans another paper insert.

"Ok, after I moisten the test stick, we have to let it set for 10 minutes." He nods, and pushes some buttons on the timer, preparing to countdown. She heads for the master bath, and a few moments later, he hears her calling to him.

"Honey, start the timer now." He nods, and enters the bathroom, where she is washing her hands. He sets the timer on the counter as Fee perches on the edge of the tub, staring intently at the stick in her hand. He chuckles lightly, and speaks.

"Sweetie, it might be a good idea to let it cure on it's own. Come have some coffee, and we'll come back when the timer goes off." She sighs, but sets the test on the edge of the tub, and stands to follow him. He prepares coffee, and as he hands her a mug, they hear the timer in the bathroom go off. They both hurry to the bathroom, and he stands in the doorway as she grabs the plastic stick and looks at it. She raises her head, a smile spreading across her face, and speaks quietly.

"Two pink lines." He smiles, too, and speaks.

"That means pregnant, right?" She nods, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, dear. We did it."

He grins big, and pulls her to him, hugging her for a long moment before releasing her.

"Do you want to try the other one?"

"In a little while. I need to let that coffee flow first." He nods, and then turns serious, pulling her to the living room and motioning to the couch.

"Let's chat for a minute." She nods, too, and sits, snuggling deep into him. He smiles, and kisses her head before continuing. "Are you OK, Fee?"

"Yes. Like I said, I'm nervous, and a little scared, but I think we'll be OK. I am sure it's normal to have those feelings when it first happens. Truly, I'm happy." He sighs in relief.

"Good. Ok, so I think the next step is having the blood draw. Let's head over to the clinic, then do you want to do lunch?"

"Sure. I want to go to the bookstore, too. I want to get a copy of this book that the Webb's used when they had Charlie. It's called "What to Expect when You're Expecting." Apparently, it is THE guide to pregnancy." He chuckles.

"I know that one. JJ and Will read it. Maybe we can borrow theirs."

"I want my own, so I can highlight stuff, and use my tabs." He grins.

"You and your tabs. OK. We'll go to the bookstore on the way home. You should grab something to read. The urgent care is usually jammed on Saturday's."

"I know. I have case files that need catching up."

"Tell me about it. Let me get the keys again, and then we can go." She nods.

A little while later, they are sitting in the waiting room of the urgent care clinic at their hospital, waiting for the doctor on call to see Fiona. She is paging through translations, annoyed by her workload, when they call her in. The petite Asian woman looks familiar, and Spencer realizes it is the same doctor who'd stitched him up a few months before when the Professor had attacked him. The woman seemed to recognize them, as well, because she smiled warmly.

"I remember you two. You were in here a little while ago, following some kind of battery, right? Dr. Lee." Fiona exclaims in recognition.

"OH! You're the one who took care of Spencer. Yes, I remember you now. How are you?"

"I'm well, thanks. So what brings you in today?" Fiona takes a deep breath and responds.

"I took a pregnancy test this morning, one of those stick kind from the drugstore, and it was positive, so we're here to confirm that, and to see what I need to do to stay healthy." The doctor smiles.

"Well, those tests are fairly accurate, but a blood test is a good idea. How long since your last menstrual cycle?"

"Three weeks."

"Ok. I understand from the intake form that you are normally very regular."

"Yes."

"Ok, so it's fairly straightforward, then. I will take two vials of blood, one for the hemoglobin test-that's the growth hormone we look for-and a second to confirm. It takes about 24 hours to process, and then I'll phone you when I have the results. In the meantime, if you really can't wait, you can try another urine test at home. If it comes up positive twice, then it's about as close to 100% certain that you can get that you actually are pregnant."

"We actually did buy two tests. Just in case, you know?" The doctor nods.

"Ok, well then, that's an option. Please excuse me for a moment, and I will return with the phlebotomist and some handouts for you." They nod, and the doctor leaves the room as Fiona turns to Spencer.

"OK, I am now officially excited." He grins.

"Oh, I'm so glad." He kisses her head as the doctor returns, another doctor in tow.

"This is Judy Sheppard, the phlebotomist. She will take your blood." Fiona nods, and extends her arm for the woman. It is over momentarily, and the phlebotomist leaves. Fee turns to Dr. Lee.

"That was not as painful as I was expecting." Dr. Lee smiles lightly.

"It's just a quick pinch. Now, I checked your records, and I noticed that Dr. Keck is your internist. He is a great starting point, and you can ask him for a recommendation for an obstetrician. Here are some pamphlets we give to the pregnant women; this one is a pre-natal checklist, dietary guidelines, and health tips, this one is for the hospital's 24 hour nurse hotline, just in case something comes up, and this last one talks about your options if this baby is unwanted." Fiona nods.

"Thank you. This baby is most certainly wanted, though."

"Good. But keep it, just in case."

"Great. Thanks, doc. So that's it, then?"

"That's it. You will hear from me by Monday afternoon at the latest. Are these your current phone numbers, and can I leave messages?"

"Yes, the top one is our home phone number, and the 504-number is my personal cell, and the other one is Spencer's personal cell." The doctor nods and makes a note.

"Finally, you can continue to take the iron pills, but since you're experiencing morning sickness, take them with lunch. A full meal should help you keep them in your system. Do you two have any further questions?"

"A whole bunch, but they're likely better to be asked of the obstetrician." Dr. Lee laughs lightly.

"You're probably right. Well, then, I guess you are free to go. Good luck."

"Thanks." Fiona stands to leave, with Spencer trailing behind her. They head for a nearby diner, chatting about the pamphlets that Fee had been given.

"Ok, so the dietary guidelines recommend very little caffeine, none if possible, and three balanced meals a day. Snacking is fine, but try to avoid excessive weight gain." Fee smiles at her husband.

"Honey. I only drink one cup of coffee, and we'll double-check with Dr. Keck, OK? Secondly, we already eat balanced meals. I think I'll be just fine."

"I know. It just gives me another thing to worry about."

"Sweetie, I am fine. Women have babies everyday, all over the world. It's not like it's a stroke or something. In 8 months time, it will be all over." He grins.

"I can't wait to tell everyone. You know they took a pool at work?" Fee chuckles, and rolls her eyes.

"I am not surprised. Who will win?"

"Morgan." Fee laughs, and they finish their lunch and hit the bookstore before heading home.

1700 Hours

Reid House

Somewhere in VA

Two days later

It is 5 pm on Monday afternoon, and Fiona and Spencer had both arrived home at the same time. A few moments later, the phone rang, and Fee picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Fiona Reid?"

"Yes."

"Hello again. This is Dr. Lee at the clinic, and I have the results of your blood draw. Are you ready?"

"Do you mind if I put you on speaker? I want my husband to hear this, too."

"No problem." Fee motions for Spencer, who had been standing by the couch, still in his jacket, carrying his bag and empty lunch container. He walks to the hall table, and puts an arm around Fiona as she presses the speaker phone button.

"Dr. Lee? We're both here. You have the results?"

"Yes. Congratulations, you're having a baby." Fiona smiles as Spencer kisses her head.

"Thank you for calling, Dr. Lee. I appreciate it."

"Of course. Congratulations again, and good luck. Bring the baby by one day, OK?"

"Sure thing."

"Have a wonderful evening. Good bye."

"Thanks, you too. Bye."

Fiona hangs up and turns to Spencer, and they embrace for a few minutes, before Spencer lifts her shirt to kiss her stomach, causing her to laugh.

"This is good news. I started reading the daddy parts of "What to Expect." It recommended waiting until the three-month mark to tell people. But I think we should call your parents now."

"Me, too. And it's only four more weeks."

"Yes."

"God. I'm excited. I hope it's a girl." Spencer laughs.

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. What sounds good for dinner?"

"You." He grins, and leads her to the bedroom, feeling content.

End of part 11.


	12. Chapter 12

_The Doctor and the Redhead, part 12-Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice_

_1100 Hours_

_FBI HQ_

_Quantico, VA_

_Spencer looked up and smiled as he saw Fee meandering through the bullpen. Actually, it was more of a waddle, she'd gotten quite big and was carrying the baby low. They were going this afternoon for an ultrasound, and to determine the baby's gender. He stood, and walked to where his wife was currently paused, chatting with Rossi. He took her hand as he arrived at her side. _

"_Thanks, Dave. I appreciate the sentiment. Please, excuse me." Rossi nods as Spencer leads her to his desk. They had told everyone the week after they'd confirmed the pregnancy, because Fee had started showing quickly, and because they were so excited. As Spencer helps her settle into a chair next to his, Morgan bounds over. _

"_Wow, that shirt is getting a workout. How are you?" Fee laughs. _

"_Ugh. I feel like…I don't know. Just tired all the time. This kid is wearing me out already, and it's not even here yet." Morgan chuckles as JJ runs up, Garcia in tow. _

"_Fee. You look so big. Good luck at your ultrasound, and let us know. I am dying for a girl baby around here." Fee smiles at her friend. _

"_Fee, can I feel your stomach?" Fiona nods at Garcia, and takes the woman's hand and places it gently against her stomach. _

"_Spencer has discovered that if you press in just a teeny bit, the baby will kick." Spencer, who had been finishing his assignment, replied. _

"_It only works for dad. Ok, sweetie. Let me just hand this to Hotch and we'll go." _

"_Yes, dear." She smiles up at him as he pulls some paperwork off of his desk and heads for his boss's office. Garcia smiles as the baby moves under her touch. "Did you feel that? The baby likes you. So far, we've discovered that it likes cashews, Debussy, mom and dad, my stepmother, and oddly, Seaver. Now you." Garcia laughs. _

"_That is cool. I can't wait. We want to hear right away; I have Kevin scheduled to go with me this weekend to buy stuff." _

"_That's not necessary." _

"_We want to." _

"_Well, thank you, then. Oh, here's Spence." Garcia smiles at her co-worker as he approaches._

"_The baby kicked for Penelope." _

"_It likes you. Are you ready, Fee?" _

"_Yeah. See you later, Penelope." The blonde girl waves as the couple leaves the building. _

_A half-hour later, Fiona is lying on a bed in the obstetrics clinic, Spencer sitting nearby. The ultrasound tech is covering her round stomach in a cold, gooey gel as she speaks to them. _

"_Ok, Mrs. Reid. I am going to run the probe here over the gel; it's an infrared system. It will allow me to see how well the baby's hear is pumping and to determine the gender, if you wish." _

"_Yes. Tell me." The tech giggles, and begins the scan, holding a stethoscope to Fee's stomach, as well. They are silent until the Tech speaks. _

"_Do you want to hear the heartbeat?" Spencer nods, and takes the stethoscope the woman is holding out, and places it in his ear. He hands it off to Fiona, who smiles. _

"_Oh, my God. Can you give us a minute?" _

"_Of course. I will return in a few minutes." _

"_Thanks." The Tech leaves the room as Spencer looks at his wife. He is silent, and she speaks to him in a low tone. _

"_Honey. I'm scared. I was just coming to terms with being married. Now a baby?" He sighs, and leans down to kiss her. _

"_I know. But we will still make it work. We can't really change it now, can we?"_

"_I guess not. Ok, let's do this." He smiles lightly and nods as a knock comes at the door. _

"_You can come in." The tech returns to the machine next to the bed where she lying still. _

"_Are you two wanting to know the gender today?" _

"_Yes, please. I'm ready." _

"_Ok. Lie still, please. Dr. Reid, are you comfortable standing?" _

"_Yes." The tech nods, and turns her gaze to the screen in front of her, and purses her lips. It is silent for a moment, and then the tech speaks. _

"_Looks like it's a girl." Fiona exhales. "I am going to get you cleaned up, Mrs. Reid, and then the doctor will see you." _

"_Thank you." Fiona looks to Spencer, who is staring ahead at the wall in front of him. Fiona is worried about her husband's behavior, but chalks it up to the same fear she feels. The tech cleans her stomach, and lowers her gown as Fiona sit's the bed up. As the tech wheels the machines out, Fiona speaks to Spencer. _

"_Honey. What's wrong?" He shakes his head, and looks at her. _

"_It's just….It's a girl. I only know about males and male things." Fee smiles. _

"_It is shocking. But like you said, we'll deal with it.." He nods. _

"_I suppose so." Just then, a loud knock sounded at the door, and Spencer responded. _

"_Please, come in." The doctor, a young man called Dr. Gomez, smiled as he entered. _

"_So I hear we're having a girl. Congratulations. I think it's best if we see how well you handle this trimester, Mrs. Reid. I am concerned because this is your first pregnancy, and you're a bit older, so there is a small chance of problems occurring. If that happens, we are fully equipped to deal with them. I have reviewed your current paperwork, and I am amazed at how well you're doing with diet, exercise, and stress management. I would like to discuss with both of you at the next appointment some options for delivery. You can choose a home birth, or a hospital birth. Oftentimes, in cases of older mothers, it becomes necessary for us to do a Caesarian section, but that depends on the health and stability of the mother at or near delivery time." He stops speaking for a moment, and then continues. "Do you have any questions?" _

"_No, doctor. I think we're just trying to digest this." He chuckles, and nods. _

"_I understand. Your weight is fine, Fiona; I know that was a concern for you. You seem to be progressing normally; the fetus shows no signs of problems or distress." _

"_Great. Thanks." _

"_You're welcome. You can get dressed now, and then we'll get you out of here. I do want some blood, though." Fiona nods as he leaves. She turns to Spencer. _

"_How did this happen?" _

"_Do I really need to explain it?" She shakes her head._

"_Spence. Please. I need you to tell me that we're going to be just fine." He crosses to her as she tugs her blouse over her head, and embraces her. _

"_Sweetheart. You are a strong, gorgeous, brilliant woman. There is nothing you and I can't do, together. Let's consider it another adventure. Mom will be pleased." _

"_Yeah, so will Garcia." _

_He chuckles as he releases her and she steps into her shoes; she'd taken to wearing flat, step in shoes because she couldn't bend to tie her sneakers anymore. He watched her, amazed still that she was his, and noticed that the pregnancy hormones had started to give her some coloring in her cheeks. The doctor knocked again, and entered, extending some paperwork to them. _

"_Here's some pamphlets you two might find helpful. Also, there is a support group for new parents that meets at the civilian hospital in Chevy Chase; I clipped their card to the papers here." Fiona nods. _

"_Thanks, Dr. Gomez." He nods, and responds. _

"_Well, if there are no immediate questions, you are free to go. I need you to have that blood draw done by the end of the week." Fiona nods. _

"_Of course. We can do it now, or maybe on my way to work tomorrow." The doctor nods as Fiona turns to Spencer. "Do you need to get back right away, or can we do the blood draw now?" He checks his watch, noticing that it is lunch hour for the team, anyway. _

"_I have some more time. You want to do it here, and then we can grab something on the way out?" She nods, and they leave the exam room and head downstairs to the lab. Fee knows that Tuesday at lunch time means the lab is fairly empty, and so they are in and out quickly. They stop by a market on their way back to Quantico, and choose some crackers, cheese sticks, and fruit and eat in the car on the way back. As they pull into Spencer's spot, he leans over to kiss her goodbye. _

"_I'll see you later?" _

"_Yes. Love you." He nods, and exit's the car. _

"_Love you, too, Fee. See you tonight." He strides into the building and upstairs to the Bullpen. He takes a deep breath as he enters, and sees that the others have returned from lunch. Since they are all looking pointedly at him, he smiles and heads for his desk. He arrives, and then turns to face the group. _

"_It's a girl." There are smiles and congratulatory words all around, and then Garcia approaches. _

"_So, I know that Fiona isn't girly, but do you think she'd mind if we got the baby some cute ruffled pink stuff?" He looks blankly at her. _

"_You should probably ask JJ. I don't really know much about the baby's preferences, other than we aim at Fiona's stomach." She nods, and turns away to find the groups liaison officer, who hadn't yet made an appearance at Spencer's desk. _

_As he settles at his desk, and turns on his computer, he can sense JJ standing next to him. _

"_Hi, JJ." _

"_It's a girl?" _

"_Yes." _

"_Name?" _

"_We haven't discussed it yet." _

"_Call her Diana, after your mother." _

"_We will take that under advisement." She rolls her eyes, and he chuckles as she settles in to her desk nearby. _

"_Thanks, JJ." She nods, and resumes her work. _

_A little while later, he checks his email, and finds a message from Fee. He clicks it open, and scans it, smiling. _

"_Sweetie, _

_Help. Melanie is going INSANE at the news. You'd think SHE was the one having a baby. I'm calling JJ if she doesn't calm down. Relay this to her. All my love."_

_He chuckles as he clicks off, and stands to find JJ. He finds her at her desk, and relays to her the information about Fee's email. The woman laughs, and comforts him, and then Hotch sends them home for the day. Spencer bounds out of the office, races to the subway, and then home as quickly as he can. He bursts through the door to see Fiona standing in the kitchen, stirring something in a pan. He kisses her before putting his things away, and then returns to the kitchen. Fiona hands him a glass of iced herbal tea, her new obsession since she was off caffeine with the baby, and speaks. _

"_How was your afternoon, hon?" He swallows his sip, and then speaks. _

"_It was fine. Busy. I got your email. How is Mel now?" _

"_Calmed down." Just then, the oven timer went off. "That's the eggplant. Can you grab it for me?" He nods, and pulls on some oven gloves and pulls out a steaming pan of eggplant parmesan. He smiles. _

"_This looks good." She smiles, pleased, and turns off the stove. _

"_Eggplant parmesan and grilled artichoke." _

"_What are we celebrating?" _

"_Our daughter." He chuckles, and kisses her head again. _

"_Ok. I'll get some plates." _

"_Thanks." He reaches above her head, and pulls out two dinner plates, and sets them on the counter next to her. She serves them, and they eat in the kitchen, at the rolling island in the center. _

_Spencer is the first to speak. _

"_So, JJ thinks we should name the baby after my mother." Fee smiles. _

"_Mel thinks we should name her after JJ." Spencer shakes his head. _

"_Do you have any ideas?" _

"_Well, I like pretty much all girl's names, I think." Fee giggles. _

"_You're SO not helpful. I think it might be neat if we name the baby after someone who is close to us, like a relative. I would be OK naming her Diana. Or Jennifer. I know. Let's name her Derek." Spencer smiles. _

"_No. But Morgan could work." Fee wrinkles her nose. _

"_Nah. No offense to Derek, but I never liked the girls who were called Morgan." _

"_Oh, ok, then. I suppose we should all have Irish names like you, Miss." Fee tosses her head at him. _

"_That's an idea. How about Colleen? Or Brid*?" _

"_I like Colleen. Ok, so we have Diana, Jennifer, and Colleen. That's a start." _

"_We mustn't forget Penelope." _

"_Nope. One Garcia in this world is enough. Trust me." Fee shakes her head. _

"_You know what, Spence? We have tons of time. Let's get one of those books, and we can look on the Internet." He chews thoughtfully, and nods. _

"_You're right. Let's not make any decisions yet." _

"_Ok. Besides, I want to concentrate on the second bedroom. I think we should paint it. I am thinking a pretty pale lavender. Not too much pink, but some is OK. Maybe some wallpaper; I found this cute border paper on the internet today. We'll need some things, too, like a crib, and changing table and all that." He nods again, feeling slightly overwhelmed. _

"_Ok, I like the painting idea. Do you want to take a trip to the baby store this weekend?" _

"_Yeah. That'd be fun." He grins. _

"_It's a date." Fee giggles again, and finishes her dinner. Spencer stands to wash his plate, and kisses her head. _

"_Thanks for dinner, honey, it was great." _

"_Of course." She follows him to the kitchen, and sighs deeply. He realizes that she is tired, and he speaks. _

"_Let me clean up in here. You go rest, Ok?" She smiles. _

"_That would be so great. Thanks, honey." He nods, and shoos her out of the room. _

_A little bit later, the kitchen is clean, and they are cuddled together on the couch, playing music at Fee's stomach. Fiona is reading through a case file, trying to translate a complicated document and Spencer is writing his daily letter to his mother, asking Fee for her input every so often. Finally, they do their final evening routine of measuring Fiona's stomach, and tracing it on some butcher paper they'd tacked up in the hallway. As they prepare for bed, he kisses her goodnight, and then kisses her stomach. _

"_Goodnight, my favorite girls." Fee grins at him. _

"_Good night, Spence. Sleep well." _

_The End. _

_Sorry this one was so short…I wrote another chapter, but I felt like this one needed to happen to explain some things. Thanks for reading! *Also, this is pronounced "Breed." _


	13. Chapter 13

The Doctor and the Redhead, Part 13-Birth

Spencer woke up feeling drained already. Fiona had been up a lot the night before, in pain, and this close to the delivery date, every pain, every movement had him on alert. But they had passed in time, and he had been able to get a little sleep in the early morning.

He sat up tentatively, finding his wife sitting on the edge of the bed, fully dressed, and putting on her shoes.

"Fee? Are you OK?"

"No. I am calling the clinic in a minute; the pain in my lower back is worsening, and the books all say that that can be a sign of early labor."

He nods, and listens as she takes the bedside phone to her side and dialed. He hears her ask to be connected to the obstetrician on call, and then pause. Finally, she speaks again, as he climbs out of bed to prepare for work.

"Yes, I am Fiona Reid. My doctor is Julie Stewart. Well, I've been up half the night with sharp pains in my lower back, which seem to be spreading across my lower back to my abdomen. It's been so bad I couldn't sleep last night….Hang on." She speaks to Spence.

"Honey? Do you think I've been "nesting?" He considers; she HAD spent the past two evenings preparing the nursery for the baby, and making sure chores were caught up for the delivery.

"Yes." She sighs, and relays this information into the phone. She listens for a while, and then speaks.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate your time. We will do that, and hopefully we'll see you soon." She hangs up as Spencer finishes brushing his teeth, and she stands and enters the bathroom.

"I just have to wait. Wait, walk as much as I can stand it, and then if and when contractions start, I have to time them. When they start becoming rapid, that's when we go in." Spencer looks at her.

"Are you OK with that? We can go now, and I'm sure they'll admit you early." Fee smiles.

"I'm OK with it. Why does everyone call me an older mother? I am not that old." He chuckles.

"You're over 25. That's all. In medical terms, that makes you an older mother, and any pregnancy slightly risky." She nods.

"That makes sense. You look good, sweetie. Let me fix your collar, though." He smiles, and stands straight as she turns down his collar in the back, and smoothes his sweater vest. He kisses her head, and speaks.

"Thank you. I know we agreed that it was OK for you to work through the week, but I really wish that you'd reconsider."

"I know. But Webb and Mel have me sitting. All day long. I swear, if I so much as sneeze, one of them is at my side in a moment. I am convinced that they have started a fire watch schedule. Only it's Fiona watch." He grins.

"That makes me feel better, actually. Ok, keep me informed. I will tell Rossi that you will be calling throughout the day."

"Rossi?"

"Yeah, Hotch assigned him the lead since he has to be home. Jack has the flu or something." Fee nods.

"Ok. I promise I will call you a lot." He grins, and follows her to the kitchen. They eat some breakfast, and listen to talk radio before it is time to leave for work. Spencer drives Fiona's car, a newly-acquired hybrid SUV, which Fiona grumbled about, saying that it looked like a soccer mom car. He'd been amused, but they agreed to make the purchase, trading in Fee's older car to lessen the down payment. He kissed her goodbye as she climbed out, and he hurried on to work.

He spoke to Rossi about the overnight developments with his wife, and as the team settled in the meeting room to discuss the newest case, his phone rang. He noticed it was Fee, and excused himself to take it. She informed him that she had told Webb about what the doctor had said that morning, and now her and another agent, called Marshall, were given orders to walk the whole building. He chuckled, and told her to just take it really slowly, and that he'd call her next. He settled back into his seat at the meeting room, and relayed the information to the others, who laughed and wished them well.

A little while later, Spencer exited the meeting room, relieved. The case was local, inside DC proper, so he wouldn't be too far. He had gotten permission from Strauss, and Hotch to decline an assignment if it took them more than an hour away from DC in any direction, as it was so close to the delivery date. He sat at his desk to prepare the preliminary documents he'd need, and worked steadily for an hour, noticing that Fee had left a voicemail, for he'd turned his phone off during the meeting.

"Not feeling as well as I did this morning. Will keep you posted. Mel is taking me to lunch. Love you." He smiled as he saved her message, and continued working.

An hour later, as they were preparing to leave to meet with DC police, Rossi quickly exited his office and headed straight for Spencer, which did not escape the young man's attention, nor the attention of the others. As soon as he was at Spencer's desk, he spoke urgently.

"Spencer? Someone called Agent Webb just phoned; Fiona is heading to the hospital. Apparently, contractions have started." Spencer stood, and grabbed his briefcase, speaking rapidly.

"Thanks, Rossi. I have to go; sorry, everyone, looks like you're on your own with this one. I will be in touch." The others shooed him out, wishing him luck, and promising that they would be OK. JJ followed him out, speaking soothingly to him.

"Spencer, it'll be OK. I will call ahead and ask a nurse to relay to Fee that you're on your way; Melanie just sent me a text saying that she and Fiona had arrived at the hospital, and are currently in the neo-natal waiting area. Her contractions are about an hour apart, so it'll be awhile. Call me if you need anything, anything at all. Good luck. Drive carefully, OK?" He nods, and takes a few deep breaths.

"Thanks, JJ. We will call if we need you. Tell the others I will be in touch as I can. Bye." She nods, and waves him off, as he climbs into the vehicle and heads across town. He parks carefully, opting for the long-term parking garage, as he is uncertain how quickly things will progress, and enters the building. He dials Fiona quickly, and Melanie answers.

"Spencer? We're on the first floor, near where you come in. I'll meet you; they've put Fee in a room already." He sighs in relief, heading to his left, where the prenatal clinic is, and responds.

"Thank you, Melanie. I'm here now." He hangs up as he spots the woman, and smiles, following her into the clinic and to the front desk. He speaks to a nurse.

"Hello, I am Spencer Reid. What room is Fiona Reid in?" The nurse smiles.

"Oh, she'll be glad to see you. It's room 1-08. Let me show you the way; I need her vitals, anyway." He nods and follows the nurse, indicating that Melanie should remain behind. The woman calls after him.

"Actually, I am due back at HQ. Tell Fee I'll come by after work." He nods, and raises his hand in a good-bye gesture. The nurse laughs, telling him that Melanie had been a little bossy and forceful when she'd brought in his wife, and they enter a room, where he spots Fiona sitting on a bed, dressed in a hospital gown, her red hair tied back in a ponytail, grimacing.

"Sweetheart. I am sorry you had to leave work." He immediately crosses to the bed and settles in next to her, taking her hand.

"It's OK. Rossi told me they'd be fine with out me, which is probably true, and both Mel and JJ are on hand if we need anything." Fiona nods as the nurse inserts a thermometer into her mouth. They fall silent for a minute as the nurse finishes her vitals, and exits quietly. Fiona speaks.

"The contractions started when Marshall and I were walking. He was great, sitting me down right away, and running off to find Mel. Poor kid, he's probably scarred for life." Spencer smiles, and replies.

"Is that the new intern?"

"Yeah. Kid is, like, 22. Nothing like seeing a pregnant co-worker lose her cool to emphasis the importance of safe sex, right? I should tour the local high schools." He shakes his head, knowing that Fee tended to crack jokes when she was in pain.

"That is not funny. You should lie back, and try to rest. I am here now, it's OK." She nods, and relaxes against the pillows. They are silent again for a moment before Fiona speaks.

"Honey? I need the overnight bag and the bag for the baby. We haven't decided on a name. We didn't put in the car seat yet. I can't have this baby. I'm not ready yet." He grins and shakes his head.

"Fee, the baby will come when it's ready. It doesn't care which blanket we take her home in. I promise. I will phone JJ or Mel later and see if they can swing by the house and get the stuff. And actually, I have the car seat in the back of the SUV. I got this pamphlet on the best way to install it; apparently, there are laws about them now. I can do it; it'll take fifteen minutes. We'll deal with that when it's time to go home. Rest now, or I will be forced to call Webb and have him order you." She smiles.

"I promise. Thank you." She settled back again, and closed her eyes, and Spencer remained sitting next to her, watching her rest. He excused himself a little bit later to phone her father, with the assurance that the nurse would page him immediately if anything changed. He was finishing up with her father when he heard his name over the speaker and headed back to Fee's room. Once there, he found an array of medical staff, and listened as the doctor spoke.

"Dr. and Mrs. Reid? We've paged Dr. Stewart, who is in delivery with another patient, and will be here as soon as possible. Meanwhile, I am Dr. Stein. Mrs. Reid, your contractions are speeding up nicely; I think we'll have a quick labor this time. So far, we have found no signs of fetal distress, and mom and baby seem great. I will have Nurse Jane here stay with you from now on to monitor your contractions and how you dilate. I think we can have this baby born by tonight." Fiona smiles, and reaches for Spencer. He kisses her head, and resumes his spot next to her on the bed.

"Thank you, Dr. Stein. I appreciate the feedback. This is our first child, and I am afraid that we're both a little lost as to the appropriate progression of labor." The doctor nods.

"It's not a problem. Most people think it's like it is on TV; they wake up, their water breaks, and they push a few times, and that's it. I think a lot of women are surprised to discover that it's so much more than that. You and your husband seem exceptionally prepared." She nods.

"We both tend to be a little bit on the cautious side."

"That's great. If you'll excuse me, I have a few other patients to see, but I will be back in a few hours to see how things are progressing."

"Thank you." He nods, and turns, pulling most of the other staff out with him, leaving only the nurse he'd indicated, and another man, who identified himself as Dr. Gnapoor, the anesthesiologist.

"Mrs. Reid, I'd just like to get your thoughts on medications. We can give you painkillers for the contractions and the delivery, or we can wait and see. We can do either just NSAIDs or we can do something like a morphine drip, which is harmless to the fetus. It is all entirely up to you." She nods.

"I want to wait as late as possible, but I am not sure that I will go without them. Can we just do the wait-and-see option?" The doctor nods.

"Of course. I will be checking periodically, or you can ask the nurse to have me paged at any time. Good luck, and congratulations."

"Thank you." He leaves, and Fiona turns to Spencer.

"This is really happening, isn't it?" He smiles.

"Yes, dear. I spoke to your father, and he is closing up the shop and he and Syd will be heading over soon."

"Thanks for calling them. I appreciate it. Oh," she stopped speaking, and squeezed hard on his hand, and he replied.

"A contraction?" She nods, and he continues. "Just breathe, honey. Breathe through it." She does as he says, and they sit in silence as a few more contractions hit her.

"I'm getting really tired of the contractions. Can't we do anything to make this go faster?" He chuckles.

"I'm afraid not." She sighs.

"Fine. Can we name the baby Diana Jennifer, after your mom and JJ? I think that would be so sweet." He considers; they had discussed both names before, and they were at the top of their short list, but he wanted to be absolutely sure.

"Well, we did discuss that, and while I think that's a good compromise, I did like Sarah Jane, too. And Julie Anne." Fiona grimaced.

"I was thinking, as Mel was driving me over today, that-" she stopped to breathe through a stronger contraction as the nurse stood up- "it would be appropriate. Your mother is wonderful, and if it wasn't for Jenny, we wouldn't be here today. I think it's the right choice." He grins.

"I like that. Diana Jennifer it is, then." She nods as the nurse approaches.

"Mrs. Reid, I am concerned that your contractions are speeding up. Can I look at you to see how much you've dilated?"

"Of course." Fiona lies back as Spencer moves to the chair across the room, and watches as the nurse checks out his wife, declaring that Fee was at 3 centimeters and was in active labor. He jumped into action, excusing himself to his wife and the nurse to make some phone calls. He notices that they have been at the hospital now for about four hours, and as he is hanging up with Melanie, he spots Fiona's father and step-mother in the waiting room, and walks over to where they are sitting. He smiles warmly at them.

"Hi, Dec. Syd." Her father looks up at him, and smiles.

"Hello, son. How are you holding up?"

"I'm OK. Fiona's doing surprisingly well."

"Have they said anything about her contractions?" asked Syd. He nods.

"Yes. She is starting to have them closer together; about 45 minutes to an hour apart. She's dilated three centimeters. Apparently, she's been in early labor since yesterday morning; she started to have sharp pains in her lower back, and some pain in her abdomen, too. But of course, she was too stubborn to stay home today." Her father nods.

"Aye, that girl certainly gives it the old Uni try, huh?" Spencer nods, unsure about what the man just said, and replies.

"Yes. Anyway, I just called Fee's friend Melanie, who will go to our house and get the bag that Fiona needs, and the bag for the baby. Do you two need anything?" They shake their heads, and tell him to go back to Fiona. He smiles, and leaves them alone, heading back to the room where Fiona is currently waiting.

The next few hours proceed similarly; the only change is an appearance from both Melanie and Fee's supervisor. Spencer has taken three calls himself; two from JJ and one from Garcia, all three checking in on them. Finally, Fiona's doctor arrives, and assesses her.

"I am going to have you moved up to delivery; I think you should be ready to delivery in the next few hours. All we are waiting for is another four centimeters, and of course, for your waters to break, then you can start to push. Now, as the contractions progress and the dilation continues, you will feel an urge to push. It is very important that you do not do that until instructed, OK? You can puncture some internal organs, and it's very messy and dangerous."

"I understand."

"Great. Let's get you upstairs. Dr. Reid, are you planning to be present during the delivery?" He looks shocked and slightly annoyed.

"Of course." The doctor shrugs and replies matter-of-factly.

"It's just that sometimes the dad's freak out a little. It's messy, and it's not at all romantic, OK?" He nods.

"I think I understand the parameters of child birth." The doctor looks him up and down as Fiona nods.

"I need him there. He will be fine. He deals with far worse things at his job." The doctor shrugs again, and turns to the nurse, telling her to put through the transport.

Five hours later, Spencer is holding tightly to Fiona's hand as she makes the final push to deliver their daughter, and as she collapses against the pillows, sweating, and moaning in pain, he smiles and kisses her.

"It's OK, baby. You did it." Fee nods, and falls silent as the commotion in the room happens to clean up the baby and cut the umbilical cord. A few minutes later, Fee delivers the placenta, and then Spencer places a tightly-wrapped, redheaded baby into her arms, and settles in next to her. The nurse steps back to allow them a few moments before they are transferred to recovery and then to a room. He speaks.

"Look at her, Fee. She's gorgeous. I checked her out; she has all her fingers and toes, and her body parts seem to be in all the right places." Fiona smiles and kisses the baby tenderly.

"She's adorable. I can't believe we just had a baby, Spence. Can you do me a favor? When you take the baby out for the others to see, can you use the white blanket in the baby's bag?"

"Yes, of course. You should rest now, though, and I'll sort that out with the nurse." She nods, and sinks back into the bed, holding the baby close to her chest.

He smiles again, and kisses both of them.

The nurse and doctor move Fee to recovery, where she falls asleep, and he takes the baby to the waiting room, where a crowd has gathered. He finds his coworkers waiting; they had solved the case pretty quickly, and had all come straight from the scene.

He cleared his throat, cupping the girl closer to him, wrapped in the white blanket he'd found in the bag, as Fiona had said, and spoke to the group.

"Everyone. Meet Diana Jennifer Reid." They all cooed, and JJ and Garcia smiled big, speaking to him. He extended the baby to Fiona's father, who took her gently and kissed her, introducing himself.

Penelope spoke first. "You named her after JJ?" He nodded.

"Yes. Fee suggested that we wouldn't be here without her, so we only found it fitting. Fiona told me to tell you that we will name the next one after you and Melanie." Garcia laughed.

"It's OK. JJ and Will already have dibs on Penelope." JJ shakes her head as Garcia swoops in next to Derek, and snatches the baby from him, causing everyone to laugh. JJ speaks to him.

"Thank you, it's an honor. How is Fee?"

"Sleeping. She did so wonderfully. No drugs, no screaming, no dramatics. She just pushed, and squeezed my hand. I was amazed. I would've been crying like a baby." JJ laughed.

"She's beautiful, Spence. Congratulations. I am glad Fee chose to use the blanket that Seaver gave her at the shower; I was surprised by the gift, but it suits little Ms. Diana well, don't you think?" He nods.

"Yes. It's quite exquisite, according to Fee." The blanket was white cashmere, with teddy bears embroidered on the border, and Fee had loved it.

Just then, the baby let out a low wail, and everyone laughed as Rossi looked a little taken aback, for he had just taken the baby as Seaver passed her on.

"What, does no one in the Reid family like me?" joked the older man, as Spencer chuckled, and replied.

"Aw, Dave. We like you fine. I just think that it's dinner time for missy, and then perhaps bedtime for the Reid's. Thanks, everyone, for coming. I know it was a late night, and Fiona and I thank you all. We appreciate your love and support over these past several months."

They all nod, and Derek suggests that the team leave them be for awhile, and Syd pulls Dec out, with the warning that she'd return early the next morning to see her granddaughter. He thanked them for being there, and took the baby to the nursery, then found Fiona's room and settled in to sleep.

Several hours later, both he and Fiona are awake, and crowded into Fiona's hospital bed, holding the baby, and talking. The baby had been fed, bathed, and changed, and Spencer had dressed her in a pair of tiny jeans and the smallest FBI sweatshirt he'd ever seen. They were both amazed at the child; already, she was alert and wide-eyed. They'd discovered that while she had red hair and blue eyes, like Fee, she had Spencer's nose and feet.

The entire BAU had turned up that morning, seeing mom and the baby again, and wishing them well. Spencer was taking paternity leave, and was looking forward to spend several weeks getting to know his newest family member.

Later that day, Fiona and the baby were released from the hospital, and, as they made carefully made their way home-Spencer driving so slowly that it was making Fee insane, they both decided that this was the best event in their life since the wedding.

"Honey, can't you go any faster?"

"No. As long as Diana is in the car, this car goes only 35 miles an hour. It's precious cargo." Fee smiles, and shakes her head.

Finally, they arrive at home, and tour the house, introducing the baby to all the things.

"See, baby? This is the kitchen. You won't spend much time there yet. But this your bedroom, where you WILL spend a lot of time. Do you like the purple?" Spencer followed Fee, laughing at her commentary.

"Remember that she kicked and moved when we held the paint chip to your belly?" Fee nods.

"Yes. That's why I chose this color." He smiles, and kisses her head, and they continue to their bedroom. They cuddle the baby close, and play some music, relaxing quietly until the baby falls asleep again. Fiona quietly puts the baby into her crib, turns on their newly-purchased monitor, and closes the door, heading back to her husband.

"Baby's asleep. Wanna make love?" He smiles and reaches out for her.

"You know, I know the doctor said to be careful, but I can't think of anything more that I want than you. I love you, and I love our daughter." Fiona smiles as his hands settle on her waist, and her mind goes blank.

End of Chapter 13


	14. Chapter 14

The Doctor and the Redhead, Part 14-A Day in the Life

Two weeks later finds Fiona recovering quickly, and the two adult Reid's are feeling a little stir-crazy, so as they bathe and dress the baby, they talk about something to do that day.

"Let's take Di to see where we work. That way, she can start to decide now whether she would rather work for the FBI or the CIA." Spencer shakes his head, but kisses her, and then the baby.

"Sounds good to me. I think she'll work for NASA, myself. The first redhead in space."

"That would be cool. Ok, so the purple lambs or the pink monkeys?" Fiona held up two different outfits, and he grimaces at both, holds up a finger, and opens the closet, unveiling a green and black onesie that said "Daddy's Ladybug" on it with green lady-bug printed pants. He smiled at Fee as she shook her head.

"You're spoiling her." He nods, and replies.

"I know. But she deserves it." Fee smiles again, and he taps her nose and helps her dress the baby, before selecting a pair of teeny black Converse sneaker's he'd spotted on a recent shopping trip and had to buy for her. Soon, the baby was fully dressed and cuddled close to Spencer's chest, as it was her favorite thing in the whole world to cuddle with her father. He reluctantly hands the baby off to Fiona for feeding, and dresses himself while the women hole up in the nursery. Soon, they are in the car, heading for CIA HQ.

1100 Hours

CIA HQ

Washington, DC

As Spencer and Fiona enter her work area, a familiar yell causes them to turn suddenly. It is Melanie, and instantly, the woman scoops the baby away from Fiona.

"Let me see her. God, she's gorgeous. She looks so much like you, Fee." Fiona nods, and hugs her friend carefully.

"I know. But she has Spencer's nose and feet." Mel nods absently, rocking the baby carefully and gently. The two adults smile, and watch Mel play with the baby for a moment before passing the child on to Webb, who took her and tried to make her laugh by making faces. The baby made her rounds throughout the entire CIA, and soon, everyone was calling her Dirty Harriet. Spencer and Fee left the building after an hour, to feed the baby, and to head to the FBI building.

1230 Hours

FBI HQ

As Fiona and Spencer entered the BAU's unit, Penelope flew out of her alcove and across the room at a speed that left Fiona open-mouthed, and scooped the baby away from Spencer, and headed for Morgan's desk. Fiona looks at Spencer, who shrugs, and follows Garcia. They arrive at Morgan's desk, and both smile to see that Morgan has the baby in his arms, and is smiling down at her, cooing. Fiona speaks.

"Oh, Derek. You look so cute, holding a baby." He grins up at her.

"She smiled at me. I think my heart melted." Fiona laughed, and nods as Spencer replies.

"Yes. Mine did. Fiona says she already has me wrapped around her finger." Morgan nods.

"That's the way it should be, fathers and their daughters, I think."

"Yeah. She's a lucky girl." Just then, Hotch and Rossi approached to see what the commotion was about, and both men smiled when they spotted the couple.

"Hey, Fiona. Spencer, why are you two here? Did Strauss call you?" Spencer shook his head.

"No, why? Should I expect a call?"

"No. I am just surprised, is all."

"Fee and I were going crazy being inside with the baby all day. We didn't have any better ideas. We've been to every library and museum in the city." Hotch nods, and Fiona smiles at him.

"Yes. I am sorry if we're interrupting; we can come back later. But we figured that everyone would be heading for lunch soon."

"You are right; I had just excused everyone." Fee smiles as Derek stands, and hands the baby to Spencer. Hotch watches the younger man as he takes the baby carefully and pulls her close to him. Rossi, who had silently witnessed the exchange, spoke then.

"You should take her, Hotch. Really, this kid is something special." Hotch nods, and Spencer places the baby in his arms, and steps back next to Fiona, watching his boss smiling. He gazes at the baby for a moment, and then looks up to Spencer and Fee, and smiles before he speaks.

"She's adorable. What is her name, again?"

"Diana Jennifer Reid." He nods.

"That's a good name. Well, Miss Reid. Have you considered a career with the FBI? We offer competitive pay, great benefits, and training." Fiona and Spencer laugh. Spencer responds.

"You know, Fee's boss offered her a corner office." Hotch looked serious for a moment, and then nodded.

"We can do one better, and offer you a position on one of the most elite Behavioral studies teams in the country." They all laughed again, and Fiona took the baby as he excused himself to the couple. They walked around for a bit, introducing her to other agents, and then they headed out of the building. As they enter the elevator leaving the BAU, they run into Strauss, who smiled warmly at Spencer and Fee.

"Hello, Dr. Reid."

"Hello, Director Strauss. Um, this is my wife, Fiona, and my daughter, Diana." The older woman appeared interested, but responded curtly.

"I didn't know that you got married. Congratulations."

"Thank you." Strauss looks the baby over and spoke to Fiona.

"She's a very adorable baby. Looks like you."

"Yes. Thank you." They continue the ride in awkward silence, and as the director gets off on the second floor, and the door shuts behind her, Spencer exhales in relief.

"That was weird. Ok, ladies. What shall we do next?" Fiona grinned.

"Let's go to lunch, and then maybe the bookstore, then on home. Mom wants a sign language book. I heard that if you start teaching infants sign language, it will help them grasp spoken languages faster and easier." Spencer considers.

"Interesting. Where do you want to go to lunch?"

"Home. I need to feed the baby, anyway." He nods.

"Ok. Home it is." They head for home, and Fiona feeds the baby as Spencer prepares a quick lunch for himself and Fee, and then they all nap before heading out to the bookstore. While they are out, they also head to the market and buy some fish for dinner. Fiona smiles as they shop, and Spencer asks what she finds so funny.

"Nothing, per se. It's just that I used to go to the market, and I would walk around and see the couples with their babies, and now it's me, and it feels good." He grins at her.

"Yes, it is. Ok, do we need anything else? How are we for wipes?"

"We're OK." They decided to use cloth diapers, but still used packaged wipes, as Fiona found them sturdier. They check out and head back home, deciding on a movie for the evening. They settle on Star Wars and as Spencer plays with the baby, Fiona prepares dinner, and they settle in to eat and watch the movie. Finally, Fiona feeds the baby one last time for the day, and they dress her for bed and watch her fall asleep. Later, both of them are wrapped up in each other's embrace, watching the late news, and talking, for they had promised not to lose their romance in the face of parenthood. Spencer knew that Fee was feeling something, and so he asked her some questions.

"Sweetheart, what are you distracted with? Can I help?" She shrugs.

"I don't know. I don't want to tell you, because I feel horrible and guilty." He takes on a serious face, and continues.

"What is it?"

"I just-I miss working. I miss adult conversation with other people besides you. I mean, you're great and everything, but I miss the chatter of the office, and Mel's crazy antics and even her not-so-crazy ability to be serious when we're in the field. I even miss Webb." He smiles, and kisses her before responding.

"I think that's normal, Fee. I know that we talked about you staying home, since we wanted to breastfeed, but I think it might be a good idea to see if you can go back part-time. I still have leave, and I am totally happy being at home. Garcia and JJ call me twenty times a day for a baby update, and Syd, too. Maybe we can get a pump or whatever it's called that the doctor was talking about. Or maybe it's time to bottle feed." Fiona shook her head.

"No. Bottle feeding is not going to happen. But a pump might work. I think I might call my supervisor tomorrow, and see what he says. Thank you for not thinking I am terrible." He smiles.

"I would never think that." She nods, and kisses him.

"What about you? What's new in your life?" He grins.

"I think we should start reading to the baby in Russian." Fiona nods.

"Ok. We can do that, Spence."

"Good. I just want her to be able to have a knowledge and appreciation of other cultures, you know?"

"Yes. Look, I'm really tired. Are you coming to bed?" He nods, and stands, pulling her to her feet. They climb into bed, and Fee cuddles close to him, speaking a low, soft tone.

"I love you, Spencer."

"I love you, too, Fee." She placed her head on his chest, and they fell asleep, content.

End of Chap. 14.


	15. Chapter 15

The Doctor and the Redhead, part 15-Happily Ever After (The Epilogue)

1700 Hours

Somewhere over Kansas

Three Years from Now

Spencer settled back into his seat on the plane, and closed his eyes. The team had just completed a case and were heading home to DC. He took some time to reflect on his life, as the others fell asleep around him. He flipped his iPod on, and let his mind wander.

He pictured his wife, his lovely Fee, who was more brilliant every day. He loved her dearly, and feared that one day, she would realize that she was far too good for him and leave. Just three days before, though, as he'd left, she'd kissed him and said she loved him. He was happy that they had been able to retain the romance of the early days; he knew that sometimes the spark died when you had children, but he and Fee were still strong. Her blazing red hair still made him smile, and she claimed that the gray hairs that had snuck into his hair made her feel like they were growing up together.

He suddenly remembered that he'd forgotten to have the little present he'd picked up for the kids wrapped, but shrugged to himself. Diana wouldn't care, and little Dec was too young to open it anyway. Dec had been born earlier that year, and it had been one of the worst times he could imagine. Fee had been incredibly sick during the pregnancy, and had suffered from depression with this baby. She'd also been on bed rest for the last trimester, and the baby had been born early, and there was a fear of complications from the doctor. He'd been so afraid of losing his wife, and his son, that he had had to take an extended leave of absence. Luckily, Rossi, who had been promoted when Hotch took a supervisory position that would keep him DC with Jack more, had been understanding, and hadn't given him too many problems when he'd requested the time off.

He thought back to his daughter. She was truly a Daddy's girl, and he loved her so much. He and Fee had discovered that the girl was a genius, too, and excelled in music. She had learned to walk and talk by one, and was playing piano at a music school three days a week. In fact, that weekend was a big holiday recital, and he had every intention of being there, so he was glad when the case had only taken three days to resolve itself. He was also teaching her chess, and was delighted that she was a quick study.

Things in his wife's life had changed, too. She was no longer with the CIA, she'd taken a teaching position at the local junior college so she could be home with the children more. Both of her parents had passed away, and her mother's husband had moved her brother and sister to Ohio, where he was originally from. She hardly saw them, but did speak to them on the phone. Her step-mother wasn't handling her father's death well, though, and Fiona feared that the woman's depression could be serious. Her brother, Liam, though, was getting married soon, so she hoped that that would help Syd start to feel happier. He had wanted to be able to comfort his wife, and had found that he could do so by letting her have some quiet time, so they had a regularly-scheduled date night, usually a Friday, and they just went to dinner and talked the whole night.

Finally, he thought about his own father, and the words he'd said to Spencer on the day he'd married Fee, about not letting his family be like theirs. He had worked hard every day to make sure that he and Fee kept their connection, and that his children felt safe and loved and paid attention to, and he made sure, for himself, that he could provide for his family and love them as much as he could. His father was starting to take a more active role in his life, and he was OK with that.

Finally, Rossi tapped him awake, telling him they were landing in about a half-hour, and he pulled out his phone and dialed home. No one answered, so he tried Fee's cell. It, too, went to voice mail, and he sighed in frustration as he left a message.

"Sweetie, we're landing. You're probably in class still. See you tonight. I love you." He shut his phone as Derek smiled at him.

"Fee not answering?"

"Nope. I think she's still at the college. I hope she remembers that I am coming home today." Derek chuckles.

"The way you two are inseparable makes me think she probably does. How are the kids?"

"I talked to Diana this morning; she is excited to see me. Dec, of course, only cares about people if they bring him a bottle." Derek shook his head.

"No, if he's anything like that little girl of yours, he'll have you wrapped around his finger in no time, too. You love those kids, anyone can tell that." Spencer nods.

"I do. Thanks."

"Did I ever tell you how cool it was, that day you and Fee brought Diana by the office, and Fee let me hold her? I was, like, holding geniusness in my arms. It kind of pulled the daddy strings for me, too."

"Oh, are you and Renee talking about the future?"

"Yes." Renee was his long-time girlfriend. Morgan had confided once, not long after Spencer and Fee had married, that he didn't see himself as marriage material, but that he COULD see himself in a long-term relationship. Not long after that chat, he'd met Renee, who worked for DC Metro police, and they'd been dating steadily for the past two years. Spencer smiled at his friend.

"That's excellent. Good luck."

"Thanks."

Just then, the pilot, an Air Force aviator, announced that they would be landing momentarily, and advised them to be seated and secure their seatbelts. Spencer did so, and turned off his iPod. Fifteen minutes later, he was standing to disembark, and as he was gathering his personal items, JJ spoke to him.

"Spence? Did you get a hold of Fee?" He shook his head.

"Nope. I left a message for her, though."

"You want a ride home?"

"Sure, thanks." He finished gathering his things and followed the others off the plane and onto the tarmac. As they entered the hangar, though, he spots Fiona waiting for him, the baby in her arms, and Diana walking towards him. He scoops her up, and kisses her red curls, and carries her towards his wife and son. As soon as he is front of her, Fiona speaks.

"I got your message. I grabbed the kids and headed over. I'm glad we made it in time." He grins, and kisses her head.

"I missed you. Thanks." He turns to JJ, who is standing nearby, Henry at her side, and watching the family. "I guess I won't need that ride home."

"No. Hi, Fee."

"Hi. I'm taking my husband home, if you don't mind, and he won't see any of you again until precisely 8:30 am tomorrow."

JJ laughs as Spencer sets Diana down and picks up his bag and briefcase and follows his wife and family out of the building and to her car. They climb in, and he kisses his son as he straps the baby into the car seat, and they begin the trek home. Once there, Fiona puts the kids down to nap, and as Spencer pulls her close to him after changing his clothes, she smiles at him.

"We've missed you, Spence. The bed is so huge and empty without you there next to me." He nods.

"I know. I hate waking up in the morning, and instead of your kisses, I come face to face with Morgan." She laughs.

"It can't be too bad."

"He's not you." She smiles at him, and they make love before the kids wake up. He stands up, and as he dresses, he speaks to Fee.

"I'll take Di outside, and you can have some quiet time. I feel like Monster Hunting." Fee grins big at him, and nods. Monster Hunting was a game that he and Diana had invented, and basically, it was bug catching, but the little girl thought that the bugs were scary, so she called them monsters.

"Thanks, honey. That would be lovely."

"You're welcome." He strides to the door, Fee behind him, and he turns to kiss her before heading to the little girl's room and opening the door. A few minutes later, Fiona hears the back door shut, and her daughter's loud giggles as her and her father play.

Outside, Spencer hands his daughter the jar they use for the bug hunts, and she falls quiet, so as not to frighten the insects. He settles in the grass, and adjusts his sunglasses. He watches in amazed silence as his daughter plays. He loves how much she looks like Fee; the girl has Fiona's russet red curls, and big blue eyes, and easy smile. But in demeanor, she is more like him, quieter, but curious, and very sure of the things she knows. He watches as she carefully catches a ladybug, her favorite, and then turns and walks towards him to show him. He smiles as she approaches.

"Look, Daddy. A ladybug."

"Yes, sweetheart. What will you call her?"

"I want to call her Fee, like Mommy." He smiles.

"Mommy would like that, I think." The little girl nods, serious.

"Should I let her go now?" He nods, and helps her to unscrew the jar, and watches as the bug flies away. They find a butterfly, which Di decides to name after her brother, and then they head back inside as Fee calls them for dinner. As he looks around at his family gathered at the table, he feels his heart swelling with joy and pride. He watches Fee spoon some oatmeal to the baby, at the same time that she feeds herself, and he smiles. He looks at Diana, who was mashing her peas with her fork, and mixing them with her potatoes, and he shook his head. Finally, their meal was finished, and as he helped Fee clean up the kitchen, bathe the kids, and read to Diana, he realized that what he mostly felt was contentment. His life was good, and he was happy and proud of his family and the things that he had accomplished in his life. Finally, it was time to put Diana to bed, and as the girl climbed into her toddler's bed and he pulled the covers over her as Fiona handed her a stuffed cat, he kissed her goodnight.

"Goodnight, my dear. Sleep well, and Daddy will see you in the morning."

"Good night, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you, too, honey." Then Fee kissed her, and they turned off the light and closed the door, heading hand in hand for their bedroom. As they changed for bed themselves, and prepared for the next day, he kissed her for a long moment, and spoke.

"Fiona, when was the last time I told you how happy I am that I have you and the children, and that I love you all?"

"Just a little while ago, actually. But I love it whenever you say it. I love you and the children, too, and I am proud of our little family." He nods, and pulls her close.

"Me, too. Di named a ladybug after you today." Fee smiled.

"That's so sweet. The woman at the pre-school said that she had drawn a picture of you, and told everyone that you were in New Mexico, catching bad guys. I think your job is interesting to her." He grins.

"I must see this picture."

"I will hang it up tomorrow. We pick up the art folders on Thursday's." He nods.

"OK." He kisses her again, a little more passionately, and as they move to the bed, his mind went blank, all thoughts of work, and the case gone, and he made it a point to concentrate on the woman in his arms. They make love again, and then fall into a comfortable sleep after he turns on the baby monitor, and places his arms around Fiona's body. He falls asleep happy, and dreams sweet dreams of the future.

The End.


End file.
